By September 1930, the economy of Germany was in deep depression as a result of the Wall Street Crash of November 1929 and the recall of the American loans that had propped it up. Unemployment had rocketed to 3.1 million (15.3%), and the Weimar politicians seemed incapable of solving the problems. In this situation the Nazis began to be seen as a way out, and their support rose. They gained 107 Reichstag seats (18.5% of the total). By July 1932, the economic depression that
These men went on to be known as the November criminals, a clear sign of the resentment the German people had for the men that had effectively gave in to the allies as they saw it. Though in truth they had no choice, the treaty’s vindictive terms and unreasonable reparations resulted in a shattered German economy; hyperinflation ensued with the price of everyday necessities skyrocketing, millions of the population went into poverty and unemployment levels hit 25%. Though the treaty of Versailles was not totally to blame for the economic crisis, as the Kaiser had borrowed huge amounts of money to pay for the war effort, it was the most significant cause, it not only led to economic troubles but also much of the political instability that led to the republic’s downfall who used the treaty and the
However it can be argued that the roots of Hitler’s appointment as Chancellor in January 1933 lie in the disaster of the Wall Street Crash of 1829 and the subsequent depression. This economic crash and the rise in unemployment had the important effect of further polarising German politics. The fact that Germany’s growth in the 1920’s had been funded by American capital which was now forced to withdraw hit Germany’s industry hard. Furthermore it was unemployment and the consequential insecurity that so undermined confidence in the present structures. By 1933 over 6 million German workers were unemployed.
The Wall Street Crash in 1929 was important in getting the Nazi’s into power because the crisis was catastrophic in Germany as it caused unemployment to increase to 3 million. Nearly everyone was affected by the unemployment. Since most of the unemployed were men, they could see no way to provide for their families. As the German democratic government was beginning to unravel as they were struggling to control the economy. This made people give up hope on the democracy as it was not working and caused people to resort to extremist groups which made the Nazis seem like they were the solution to the problem.
2. Describe German reactions to the Treaty of Versailles? The German reaction to the Treaty of Versailles was one of outrage, they felt in many ways that they had been harshly treated and their punishment was unjust. The Germans had lost 10% of its land, meaning Germans were disbanded from German and ended up in new countries for which they didn’t speak the language. It had also loss a large portion of the working population, which meant it would be near impossible for their economy to get going again, especially when they had been forced to pay reoperations of 6000 million.
The Holocaust was caused by three main factors; Germany's loss of World War I, the Great Depression, and Antisemitism. Rooted deep within were the feelings of humiliation, anger, and revenge. In 1918, Germany was humiliated. The loss of World War I caused life to change among the Germans. In 1928, the Treaty of Versailles was signed putting Germany in great debt.
• Significant impact upon war-torn Europe, reducing its capacity to pay war debts and resulting in the imposition of retaliatory tariffs 3. Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act 1930 -- (June 17, 1930) • Tariff levels on 20,000 imported goods risen to an historical high, exceeding those rates set by the Fordney-McCumber Tariff Act (1922) • Narrowly passed by the Senate (44 to 42) • Resulted in the implementation of retaliatory tariffs by America’s trading partners i. This effectively closed foreign markets to American exports ii. US exports plummeted 60% between 1929 and 1933 • 1000+ economists signed a petition to appeal to Hoover to veto the motion in May 1930 i. ‘That act intensified nationalism all over the world... it encouraged further protectionism and led to a further decline in world trade’ an economist ii.
Businesses and factories shut down, banks failed, farm income dropped. By November 1932, 20 percent of Americans were unemployed. The presidential campaign that year was chie y a debate over the causes of the Great Depression and ways to reverse it. Incumbent Herbert Hoover had started the process of rebuilding the economy, but his e orts had little impact, and he lost the election to Franklin Roosevelt. Roosevelt was infectiously optimistic and was ready to use federal authority to achieve bold remedies.
As unemployment reached an all time high in 1933, this decade, was squished between the roaring twenties and World War II, and was left little to be highlighted other than the dismal consequences of the Great Depression. An all-time low in American confidence, the years between 1929 and 1940 tested the strength, courage, humility, and perseverance of those forced to suffer a quickly dropping economy. No longer did hard work transform into success or even hope. Middle class working families now joined the ranks of the poorer classes and farmers hit by the Dust Bowl in the 1920's. The enormous unemployment disrupted family structure as it forced the male provider shamefully into bread lines.
The Great Depression was a monumental economic crisis for America and the entire world during the 1930s. By the end of 1930, 4 million Americans were jobless, and two years later, that number shot up to 12 million. Even through President “Teddy” Roosevelt’s New Deal, and various government programs, the Great Depression did not truly end until after World War II. During the scandalous terms of President Harding and Coolidge, labor lost much of their power. Also during President Hoover’s reign, the US economy took a down turn.