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How did Hitler rise to power in Germany?

1. Courtesy of the Weimar Government

Hyperinflation

The Treaty of Versailles imposed such heavy reparations on Germany that its economy was totally obliterated.

Weimar Government responded by printing currency notes to pay for war reparations.

Without a strong economy, the over-printing of notes resulted in the drastic depreciation of the German Mark.

An egg cost 8 pfennings in 1913, 5000 Marks in mid-1913, and 80 billion Marks in November 1923.

The entire life savings of many Germans were wiped out overnight.

The people held the already-unpopular Weimar Government responsible for the economic woes of post World War 1 Germany.

The help of the Great Depression

Gustav Stresemann was a capable politician of the Weimar Government.

He replaced the old Mark with a new currency, the Rentenmark. His diplomatic skills enabled him to convince USA to loan Germany money to pay off its reparations.

Under his capable leadership, the Germany economy started to recover in 1924.

However, in 1929, Gustav Stresemann died and there was no one capable of filling his shoes.

Moreover, Germany and the rest of the world was struck by the Great Depression in 1929.

The German economy collapsed and millions of Germans lost their jobs.

Germans lost all faith in democracy and felt that only extremist parties like the Nazi party could save Germany.