Rise of Dictators
What makes dictators so appealing during a depression?
In the case of Germany, Adolf Hitler was so appealing to the German population because he was a charismatic speaker, as a country Germany was in economic turmoil, and they had lost power and national pride.
In the case of Germany, Adolf Hitler was so appealing to the German population because he was a charismatic speaker, as a country Germany was in economic turmoil, and they had lost power and national pride.
Land Loss
The loss of Rhineland, due to the Treaty of Versailles, greatly affected Germany’s power and economy. The loss of industry from losing Rhineland meant Germany’s economy would suffer. Carlos Magana said, “The League of Nations took control of the free city of Danzig and the allies took control of the Rhineland for fifteen years. The Rhineland was demilitarized under article 180 of the Versailles Treaty. It was considered the industrial heart of Germany and the source of its military power. Germany also lost its colonies and large merchant vessels” (Carlos Magana). The stronger the economy, the more people, and the more money a place has, makes that area more powerful. When Germany lost Rhineland they lost a lot of people, and the majority of their military power, which decreased their amount of power substantially. This environment opened the doors to a great opportunity for Hitler. Germany needed someone who would fix their economy and make them more powerful. Hitler came up with promising solutions that would fix these problems, so the citizens of Germany listened and put their faith in Hitler.
The loss of Rhineland, due to the Treaty of Versailles, greatly affected Germany’s power and economy. The loss of industry from losing Rhineland meant Germany’s economy would suffer. Carlos Magana said, “The League of Nations took control of the free city of Danzig and the allies took control of the Rhineland for fifteen years. The Rhineland was demilitarized under article 180 of the Versailles Treaty. It was considered the industrial heart of Germany and the source of its military power. Germany also lost its colonies and large merchant vessels” (Carlos Magana). The stronger the economy, the more people, and the more money a place has, makes that area more powerful. When Germany lost Rhineland they lost a lot of people, and the majority of their military power, which decreased their amount of power substantially. This environment opened the doors to a great opportunity for Hitler. Germany needed someone who would fix their economy and make them more powerful. Hitler came up with promising solutions that would fix these problems, so the citizens of Germany listened and put their faith in Hitler.
German Reparations
After World War One, the Treaty of Versailles required Germany to pay a great deal of war reparations. Carlos Magana wrote, “…it was agreed that Germany should only be responsible for civilian damage. The sum was set at 6,000 million, which was still very high due to the depreciated German economy” (Carlos Magana). This large amount of money meant that they would be in debt for a very long time. This put a strain on their economy. With a struggling economy, Germany needed someone who could fix it. When Hitler stepped in with answers and ways to fix their damaged economy, the German people trusted him. They had nowhere else to go.
After World War One, the Treaty of Versailles required Germany to pay a great deal of war reparations. Carlos Magana wrote, “…it was agreed that Germany should only be responsible for civilian damage. The sum was set at 6,000 million, which was still very high due to the depreciated German economy” (Carlos Magana). This large amount of money meant that they would be in debt for a very long time. This put a strain on their economy. With a struggling economy, Germany needed someone who could fix it. When Hitler stepped in with answers and ways to fix their damaged economy, the German people trusted him. They had nowhere else to go.
National Pride
The War Guilt Clause in the Treaty of Versailles greatly impacted Germany’s national pride. This clause stated that Germany took full responsibility for the war. According to Carlos Magana, “‘The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the damage to which the allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies’(Birdsall, 254)”(Carlos Magana). This outraged and humiliated the German people. Hitler gave the outraged and humiliated people of Germany that he would fix this problem and gave them hope. That is one of the reasons Hitler was so appealing to the German people.
The War Guilt Clause in the Treaty of Versailles greatly impacted Germany’s national pride. This clause stated that Germany took full responsibility for the war. According to Carlos Magana, “‘The Allied and Associated Governments affirm and Germany accepts the responsibility of Germany and her allies for causing all the damage to which the allied and Associated Governments and their nationals have been subjected as a consequence of war imposed upon them by the aggression of Germany and her allies’(Birdsall, 254)”(Carlos Magana). This outraged and humiliated the German people. Hitler gave the outraged and humiliated people of Germany that he would fix this problem and gave them hope. That is one of the reasons Hitler was so appealing to the German people.
Charismatic Speaker
Hitler was a very good public speaker. He always seemed to know what to do. According to Jim Powell of Forbes, “Hitler’s main talent seemed to be as a speech maker, so he began giving speeches that appealed to Germans embittered and disillusioned by the outcome of the war”(Jim Powell). Hitler gained the trust of the German people through his public speaking skills. He gave them reason to hope for a better future. He had a plan and seemed to know what to do to fix Germany’s problems after World War One. This was very appealing to the German people.
Cites
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimpowell/2013/02/05/how-dictators-come-to-power-in-a-democracy/
http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/projects/1920s/CarlosTreaty.htm
https://qx19.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/europe-map-before-after-wwi-08-021.jpg
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00373/66940007_hitler_373594c.jpg
http://cla.calpoly.edu/~lcall/213/reparations.jpg
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/group-people-waving-german-flags-back-lit-44310156.jpg
http://static.bbc.co.uk/history/img/ic/640/images/resources/people/adolf_hitler.jpg
http://www.forbes.com/sites/jimpowell/2013/02/05/how-dictators-come-to-power-in-a-democracy/
http://www.history.ucsb.edu/faculty/marcuse/classes/33d/projects/1920s/CarlosTreaty.htm
https://qx19.files.wordpress.com/2009/12/europe-map-before-after-wwi-08-021.jpg
http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/multimedia/archive/00373/66940007_hitler_373594c.jpg
http://cla.calpoly.edu/~lcall/213/reparations.jpg
http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/t/group-people-waving-german-flags-back-lit-44310156.jpg
http://static.bbc.co.uk/history/img/ic/640/images/resources/people/adolf_hitler.jpg