However as the war progressed and more issues became apparent, the divide between the rich and the poor and the left and the right wing became vaster. Before the war had commenced liberals and socialists were aggravated with German democracy. Germany portrayed itself as a democratic state, however all the power belonged to the elite. Kaiser Wilhelm II even boasted that he had never read the constitution. Therefore Liberals wanted constitutional reform and more power to be given to the Reichstag.
To understand and identify the aspects of the totalitarian system in both countries it's important to consider both countries history. On November the 11th 1918 Germany agreed to signed the Armistice. After Germany was forced to accept Versailles agreement by accepting guilt for WW 1. As a consequence the German people were demotivated and had no confidence in the new liberal democratic Weimar government and international forces. This resulted in risings such as the Spartacist rising where communists fuelled by the success of the Russian revolution almost occupied nearly every major city in Germany.
During this time, East Germans became fed up with the oppressive policies of the Stazi, the antics of Honecker’s government, and the hated symbol of the Berlin Wall. They reacted against the only thing they could change and tore down the wall. Poland was another major country that disintegrated from communism. Under the lead of Lech Walesa, Poland was growing a rebellious strength. With Gorbachev as Russia’s leader, reforms were putin place as well as removing many USSR restrictions of satellite countries.
To reinforce their ideas on nationalism, equal rights were only to be given to German citizens. To appeal to the working class and socialists, the programme included several measures, for example increases in old-age pensions and free education. From this a basis was in place in which the party could sell its programme to a wide audience. In order to abide by the party programme and the idea of making the party appeal to as many as possible, in April of 1920 Hitler advocated that the party should change its name to the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP). This was a ‘catch-all’ name conforming to the aim of the party: to have as many supporters as possible and appeal to the Pan Germans and Working class.
The reason why so many people joined these extremists was that in the Treaty of Versailles the Germans would have to accept ‘the War guilt clause’. Everyone found this an outrage as the Germans eventually signed the Treaty. The Govterment system that was put in through the Weimar was democracy. This new system was new to Germany and looked to be crumbling after the first few years. The country had a militaristic past as which had gave the President some concerns that the old elite may try and overturn the Weimar with much support.
Hitler then took away the “Power of the People” by replacing parliament with a self proclaimed dictatorship, which most Germans welcomed. Hitler was often described as a “Leader that got mad with power” as he lead a war that lead to many, many people dying. This so called “madness” leads to him taking over Poland and starting the war, consequently meaning Germany broke the “Treaty of Versailles”. After Germany took over Poland, Britain declared war on Germany as they refused to leave from Germany and the fact that they broke the “Treaty of Versailles”. After Britain declared war on Germany, France joined in with Britain as they felt threatened that Germany was going to take over them.
Firstly, Appeasement was a policy adopted by Britain and France in the years before the outbreak of war. It involved giving Hitler what he wanted in the hope it would satisfy him and he would stop requesting more. As Britain and France found out, Hitler was a greedy man and no intention of stopping. So all Britain and France did was allow him to strengthen the German forces and empire. An example of this was the remilitarization of the Rhineland in 1936.
The Versailles Treaty required Germany to pay stiff reparations. The reparations bill totaled $33 billion. Germany faced disastrous inflation.The anger that built up in Nazi Germany - and which was played on by Hitler during his rise to power had long term causes that went back to the 1919 Treaty of Versailles since the patriotic Germans had never forgotten their nation's treatment in Paris. The peace settlements led to the creation of new nations of Eastern Europe. However, the principle of national self-determinations had not always been followed.
A series of small defeats prompted strikes throughout Germany. A significant example is that of The Sailors at the Kiel naval base mutinied rather than sail for a final confrontation with the British Navy. Soldiers, sailors and workers formed councils with echoes of events in the new Communist Russia. The joining of the U.S.A. on the side of allies was the final nail in the coffin for the defeat of Germany. Due to the lack of morale, war weariness and economic crisis the unrest was beginning to form a dangerous revolution.
Revolution occurred because of the rise of the opposition, which consisted of the army, protestors and civilians. Demonstrations and food riots suddenly broke out in the capital city of Petrograd. A general strike had spread throughout the city and some soldiers had joined demonstrators, this had caused the Tsar to command the military chief to fire on the crowd. Dozens of people had died and the rest were reminded of “Bloody Sunday.” As a result the demonstration had tuned into a revolution aiming to overthrow the government. The Tsar had lost all support and control because of his actions and this led to him abdicating the