The following was 3 reasons for the rise of the Nazis in Germany:

Effects of the Great Depression
Weaknesses of the Weimar Republic
Nazi Propaganda

Which was most crucial? Explain your answer. [13]


One of the causes for the rise of the Nazism was the Great Depression. The Great Depression brought suffering to the German people. Many of them became unemployed and thus, resulted in poverty. In addition, it exposed the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic once again. This time, it was helpless in dealing with the economic crisis. The Germans lost all confidence in the Weimar Republic and started to search for anyone or any group who could help them. This became an opportunity for the Nazis to win more influence and gain their support, especially during elections.

Another cause for the rise of Nazism was the weaknesses of the Weimar Republic. The Republic never had much support from the beginning in 1919. By signing the humiliating Treaty of Versailles, the Republic was always regarded as the cause for Germany's surrender. Its unpopularity was already evident from the number of putsches that broke out in the early 1920s. In addition, the Republic did not perform well. In the space of 12 years, it had experienced a number of economic crises, such as the 1923-24 hyper-inflation and the Great Depression from 1929 onwards. All these caused sufferings to the Germans, who would naturally associate democracy with economic hardships. Therefore, when the Nazis began to promise the restoration of German pride and the alleviation from economic hardships, the Germans would naturally prefer the Nazis to be in power rather than maintaining the democratic system of the Weimar Republic.

The Nazi Party also played a part in their own rise. Its propaganda tactics were quite effective, as it captured the support of many Germans. Through posters and rallies, the Nazis came across as a group of people who knew how to restore Germany to greatness. In addition, they propagated much fear about the rise of communism, which prompted the wealthy industrialists and landowners to support the Nazis. They were also led by a very charismatic leader, Adolf Hitler, who was regarded as a saviour by many Germans. With excellent public-speaking skills, he was able to convince many Germans with promises to bring prosperity and greatness to Germany once again.