Hitler's rise to power

The Wall Street Crash occured in America in 1929, and the effects of it were felt worldwide, especially in Germany where they were extremely poor because of the effects of World War One. This was known as the Great Depression.

• When America had to recall the money they had loan to Germany after the war many business men went bankrupt or had to cut back production.
• Factories were producing less so some workers were sacked and many became unemployed.
• As a result of this people did not have enough money to buy goods and so factories ended up producing even less.
• Therefore even more people ended up unemployed.

Farmers

• They were affected because the unemployed bought less food so farm prices began to drop - as a result farmers also became unemployed.

Unemployment

• By 1933, 6 million Germans were out of work
• Middle class and working class families lost their homes
• Businessmen became bankrupt
• Small farmers lost their farms

Many Germans blamed the Governement for the situation they were in and lost confidence in democracy.

So, Germans turned towards extremist parties who seemed to have a soloution to the economic problems.

This was exactly what Hitler and the Nazi party needed to become powerful.

Hitler was sent to prision in 1923 and released in 1924. In this time he wrote a book called 'Mein Kampf' expressing all his ideas he had for Germany. In 1924 Hitler started to reorganise the Nazi party to make it more effective.

• Party offices were set up all around Germany
• He started the Hitler Youth
• Set up a new fighting force, the **
• Marches and torchlight rallies were staged

Hitlers Ideas

• Germany needed a strong leader
• Overturn the Treaty of Versailles
• Make Germany of great military power
• Make Germany properous again
• Have a master race - the Aryan race
• People's community
• Destroy communism.