Just two decades after the world’s supposedly greatest war, a greater and more devastating one occurred. World War II, the most costly war in the history of mankind, had a lot of causes leading up to it. One such cause was the Treaty of Versailles. The Treaty of Versailles was drafted by the Allied Powers after World War I during the Paris Peace Conference in 1919 to ensure that Germany would never rise to become a major military force again. Its multiple provisions required Germany to pay harsh reparations for the war, both in money and territory. In addition, it placed a limit on Germany’s military size. Thus, Germany spiraled into a financial and political crisis, and its citizens looked desperately for a new leader. They chose Adolf
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The Treaty heavily impacted post-World War I Germany, as it demanded reparations in money, which led to the hyperinflation that Germany experienced. In addition, the American stock market crash, causing the Great Depression, also contributed to the financial hardships faced by Germany. For example, “much of the prosperity in Germany from 1925 to 1929 had been fueled by loans from U.S. banks” [3]. The German economy relied heavily on the American stock market, which had crashed leading into the Great Depression. Thus, many American banks demanded the return of the loans they had given to German banks. This caused Germany’s economy to hyperinflate, as it desperately tried to repay the loans to American banks. It additionally led to bitterness that would …show more content…
Hitler gained many followers by speaking about the impacts of the Versailles Treaty of Germany. For example, “his highly charged speeches ignited the sense of anger and humiliation that many Germans felt” [5]. As Hitler used the emotional appeal of the crisis that German citizens faced, he immediately got a mass of followers who were longing to make Germany into a superior nation. Consequently, he won the political elections with the NSDAP political party, and later formed the Nazi regime which would become the most authoritative military force in the second world war. Moreover, Hitler, who was one of the most influential speakers of his time, blamed the Jews for the many problems that Germany faced. For instance, he made a rural farmer realize that “the Jew was at fault for all the misery” [9]. By giving the Germans the Jews, a tangible explanation for the crises faced by Germany, Hitler was able to get support and make a disastrous impact on World War II. In addition to sparking a hatred in Jews, Hitler actively tried to regain territory which was lost to the Treaty of Versailles. Henry Channon, a member of British Parliament, wrote, “Hitler has entered Prague, apparently, and Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist” [10]. The sheer brutality with which Hitler expanded Germany’s boundaries showed his lasting
The Treaty heavily impacted post-World War I Germany, as it demanded reparations in money, which led to the hyperinflation that Germany experienced. In addition, the American stock market crash, causing the Great Depression, also contributed to the financial hardships faced by Germany. For example, “much of the prosperity in Germany from 1925 to 1929 had been fueled by loans from U.S. banks” [3]. The German economy relied heavily on the American stock market, which had crashed leading into the Great Depression. Thus, many American banks demanded the return of the loans they had given to German banks. This caused Germany’s economy to hyperinflate, as it desperately tried to repay the loans to American banks. It additionally led to bitterness that would …show more content…
Hitler gained many followers by speaking about the impacts of the Versailles Treaty of Germany. For example, “his highly charged speeches ignited the sense of anger and humiliation that many Germans felt” [5]. As Hitler used the emotional appeal of the crisis that German citizens faced, he immediately got a mass of followers who were longing to make Germany into a superior nation. Consequently, he won the political elections with the NSDAP political party, and later formed the Nazi regime which would become the most authoritative military force in the second world war. Moreover, Hitler, who was one of the most influential speakers of his time, blamed the Jews for the many problems that Germany faced. For instance, he made a rural farmer realize that “the Jew was at fault for all the misery” [9]. By giving the Germans the Jews, a tangible explanation for the crises faced by Germany, Hitler was able to get support and make a disastrous impact on World War II. In addition to sparking a hatred in Jews, Hitler actively tried to regain territory which was lost to the Treaty of Versailles. Henry Channon, a member of British Parliament, wrote, “Hitler has entered Prague, apparently, and Czechoslovakia has ceased to exist” [10]. The sheer brutality with which Hitler expanded Germany’s boundaries showed his lasting