Discuss reasons why Hitler was able to become dictator of Germany by 1934

After Germany’s defeat in the First World War the country was forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles that limited Germany’s power. Many Germans hated this idea specifically Adolf Hitler, he was disappointed with what Germany had become. Hitler quickly joined the Nazi Party and found that he was a great speaker and rose rapidly to become the leader of the party. Using Germany’s problems to his advantage, Hitler gained more and more supporters and eventually became dictator of Germany by 1934.

Due to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was made to pay war reparations, accept war guilt and lose territories. It claimed that Germany had not lost the war but was stabbed in the back by defeatist actions of liberal socialist and Jews. Hitler became obsessed with this idea of blaming the Jews and Marxists for losing the war. After joining the Nazi Party, Hitler found that he was a great speaker. According to Hitler if you say something often enough and loud enough people are going to believe you, and people did believe him. Hitler quickly rose to lead the Nazi party. The Germans who hated the terms of the Treaty of Versailles supported Hitler as he promised to get rid of the treaty.

In 1923 Hitler, who was already the leader of the Nazi party, saw the opportunity to seize control of Germany. He gathered a group of ex-soldiers, to be later known as the S.A., which formed the paramilitary section of the Nazi Party. Hitler would use this group to do his dirty work, for example attacking opponents or beating up Jews on the streets. Hitler later attempted to overthrow the government of Bavaria, but had failed to do so. Hitler was charged with treason and was sentenced for 5 years, but he only spent 9 months in jail. During this 9 months Hitler wrote a book “Mein Kampf” (My Struggle or My Battle) which is about his personal and political philosophy. This book became a best seller in Germany when it was first published and it was meant to be the Nazi bible.

In 1929 the Wall Street stock market crashed, as Germany’s economy heavily depended on foreign loans especially the loans from the United States. The United States called its loans to Germany to support their own economy. Germany’s economy crashed completely, so to pay the war reparations the government printed more money and created hyperinflation. It was cheaper and easier to use money for wallpaper or to burn money instead of firewood. The then government did not seem to have any idea to solve the problems of the depression. The Nazis on the other hand promised to solve the problems. Hitler promised the people what they wanted; he used the Jews as scapegoats, blaming everything that had gone wrong on them.