Example research essay topic: World War One Treaty Of Versailles - 1,962 words

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Explain why and how, Hitler and the NSDAP began to attract some support from people in Germany between 1919 and 1923. There were many reasons why Hitler got into power: the defeat in world war one, Treaty of Versailles, stab in the back theory, weak leadership, fear of communist / revolutions , economic impact of world war one, reparations, hyperinflation's of 1923, French invasion of the Ruhr. In 1914 at the beginning of the war, the Germens were very confident that they were going to win the war. However, by 1917 it was very clear to the army's High Command that they were not going to win the war. The army still had a little hope, when Bolshevik seizure of power in Petrograd in November 1917. Then in 1917, Germany was talking about peace with Russia, which led to the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk (March 1918).

Under the Treaty of Brest-Litovsk Germany gained a lot of land from the east. Now they could concentrate on the west side of Germany. The extra men helped at first but the Allies did not give up, and then soon started to gain land. In September 1917, Germany's army chiefs- Paul von Hindenburg, head of the high Commands, and Erich Ludendorff, his senior quartermaster general, realised that it was certain they would not win the war.

Hindenburg and Ludendorff cared the most about the army's reputation. They knew that if they lost the war, it would look bad on them, because they were the one who were responsible of the country while Germany was at war. Therefore, they asked the Kaiser if their power of the country could be give to civilian politicians. Prince Max of Baden, head of the German Red Cross and a political moderate, was appointed the Imperial Chancellor, in 1 st October 1918. However, the army were still sending out propaganda to the people, convincing them that they will win the war even when the army knows they will not. After four long years of blood, war and propaganda, people started to believe the posted and advertisements.

Therefore, when the Weimar Government signed the Armistice in 1918, the German people did not understand why they had given up. They felt that that the new Government have signed them away to the Allies. They felt as if the Weimar Government has stabbed them in the back. Some people did not believe that they have been defeated because they Germans were still in French territory when they were asked to stop fighting.

Then in June 1919, the Germans were forced to sign the Treaty of Versailles. NO one liked the Treaty of Versailles because it was so unfair; the Germans were given total blamed for starting the war (the war guilt clause). They had to pay 66000 million in reparations. All of Germany's territories and colonies were taken away then shared out amongst the Allies. Germany's proud army was reduced to 100, 000 men, Conscription was banned-the soldiers had to join the army voluntarily, Germany was not allowed any armed vehicles, submarines or aircrafts, the navy was only allowed to build six-battle ship, the Rhineland became a demilitarised zone. This means that no German troops were allowed into that area; the Rhineland was important because it was the land separating France and Germany.

Then they were not allowed to join the League of Nations when it opened, which the German people found very insulting. It was very hard to have a stable government because, at times there could be up to four or five different parties in the coalition government, this made it very hard to run a government. All the different parties would have different ideas and they would not be able to agree on anything. The more parties there are in a coalition government the harder it is to solve problems, and the shorter time the government would run the country, before it collapses and another government is elected.

In about 5 years, they could of when through around 5 to 7 different governments. This just shows who unstable the country is. This concept must be very hard for the more mature German citizens, because they were used to having strong leadership all their lives and now they have been through into a very unbalanced leadership. The German economic was in bad shape before the war, the Kaiser thought that Germany was going to win the war for sure, so he took out 100 s of thousands of marks from international banks. Thinking that he was going to win the war, he thought he could pay off all the dept when he gets the spoils of the war. So even before the war started Germany's economy was in bad shape.

When the Treaty of Versailles said that Germany had to pay the Allies 66000 million, the German economy was in more strain then ever. They could pay the reparations and the international loans as well, after the war Germany's dept seemed to spiral out of control. When the German has started to lack behind on their payments, France and Belgium got very impatient and took over the industrial heart of Germany, Ruhr. The German army was in no state to fight the French or the Belgium army. Because the French went into the main industrial area of Germany, the German government told the worker to go on a passive resistance, and stop working for the French. The German industrial, heart stopped beating, nothing was being produced.

The French soldiers tried to force the workers but that did work. Therefore, the French brought some of their men up and made them work, but they did not get as much produces produced. The German government was supporting the strike in the Ruhr, so they had to pay all the people who are on strike therefore they printed more money to pay them. Germany did not have the properties to support their money, so their currency started to lose its value. Because the value is decreasing, the government had to print more money to pay the people, then more money they print the les the currency is worth, this went in a vicious circle. This situation was called hyperinflation.

The hyperinflation scared the Allies a lot, because they scared, that Germany might catch the communist disease. They know that communist is attracted to poor and run down countries like Germany. The Allies knows that Russia would have a strong influence on Germany if they do not do something fast. The Allies could see how there were so many revolts going to in Germany.

This was not a good sign either; they can see that the German government is under attack from its own people because their living conditions or they way that they are living is not satisfactory. These events are why helped Hitler and his party to got into power. How did these events affect the support of Hitler and his party? There are many reasons for that too: More and more people were joining the NSDAP, lots of money from the right wing elites were give to Hitlers party, connection with the army, and support from the trial of the Munich putsch. Germany has gone through a lot of pressures and rough spots, after the First World War. In addition, the people were desperate to get their country in order.

Germany has been a strong and prosperous county before the war, now that there is poverty and disorder, people are finding it hard to live with chaos. When the situation in their country gets too much for them, they believe that they would prefer to have a dictatorship, where they have a good leadership, then democracy, where there is no stability. When Germany was going through its hardest times, more and more people were supporting more extreme political parties. That was one reason why Hitlers party increased in support from the German people. The other reason is that, Hitler had the best oratorical skills.

He joined the DAP, at first there was not that many people there to listen to him. However, when he got started more and more people came to listen to his speech. His speeches especially moved the younger generations, who supported his racist and aggressive behaviour. The NSDAP was a right wing party, but they did care bout the Kaiser and butting him back on the throne, apart from that they had the similar ideas as the rest of the right wing parties. Hitler used to hold speeches at the right wing elites dinner parties, so Hitler had a strong relationship with the right wing elites. The NSDAP appealed the right wing elites, so they were ready to give the NSDAP a lot of fund money to run the party.

This money helped the party to run and function properly. The army are members of the of the right wing elites, because Hitler has used to be in the army he had a few connections with the army. Hitler used his oratorical skill to persuade them to help him and his party. Hitler knew if he had the support of the army then he has a lot of power to through around. If the army supported him then he has the power to take over the Weimar government. The right wing elites also had a private army called the Freikorps; they are ex-soldiers who have been kicked out of the army, because the Treaty of Versailles said there should only be 100, 000 men in the army.

These men are fighting with a passion because they love fighting and they love their army, but they have been chucked out of the army not because of their lack of skills. With the help from both the Freikorps and the army, Hitler ahs a strong defence. That is why Hitler encourages and pressed on with the Munich putsch, because he thought that he has all the support he needs and nothing can stop him and his party. He also thought that he would have a lot of support from the public because, there was the passive strike at the Ruhr and now G.

Stresemann is the Chancellor he ordered them to stop the strike and go back to work. Hitler found this very of fencing, because he is believes that Stresemann is supporting the Treaty of Versailles that is why he was telling the striker to go back to work. He thought that all the people felt the same way; he forgot that Stresemann actions helped the people and the economy, and Stresemann too hated the Treaty of Versailles. When the people saw the difference that Stresemann was making to the country, some people started to stop supporting the extreme parties and stick to the parties in between.

However, Hitler did still have the support of a general, General Ludendorff, and the Nazi storm troopers. When Hitler was caught for treason, some people thought he was going to serve a life sentence for his crime, but he did not. He used the publicity at the trial to improve his oratorical skills; he gave a speech about he was no criminal because he want the best for his country and that he did not mean not harm. If he did a crime and that would be, he loved his country too much and would be willing to do anything to protect it from foreigners. He gained a lot of publicity because all the press was there to see that man who was so close to taking over the government.

All the papers would have every single word that he said at the trial, in it. This helped him to spread his opinions and ideas. This how Hitler attracted support from people in Germany.

Research essay sample on World War One Treaty Of Versailles