Long And Short Term Causes Of Hitler's Rise To Power

There were many causes to Hitler’s rise to power, many of which were long-term and short-term. All these causes are interconnected, meaning that without one event, another event may not even occur as a result. So both short and long-term causes are necessary in their contribution to Hitler’s rise to power. One example of a major long-term cause was the Treaty of Versailles. It was a very important cause as it motivated Hitler to make Germany strong again. The extreme policies of Treaty of Versailles caused horror and outrage in the German people. Both Hitler and the German people felt their army had not been defeated on the battlefield, but had been “undermined by political treachery at home.” (History Place) The people did not like the humiliation

For example, the Great Depression was a short-term effect that can be linked to the Treaty of Versailles. The Great Depression was a result of the Wall Street Cash in America of October 1929. The crash had a devastating impact on American economy, and because America had propped up the Weimar Republic with huge loans in 1924 (the Dawes Plan) and in 1929 (the Young Plan) had a huge impact on the Weimar Republic’s economy. (History Learning Site). Because of this, unemployment skyrocketed, and remembered with fear the hyperinflation of the 1920s. They were anxious that the government wouldn’t make the same mistakes again. Many Germans needed money that was not available for food, heating, and clothing. So it is not surprising that those people turned to the more extreme political parties like the Nazi and Communist parties. For example, in the 1930 Reichstag election, the Nazis gained 143 seats, a vast improvement on their previous showing. In fact, in July 1932, the Nazis gained 230 seats making them the largest party in the Reichstag. (History Learning Site). So the Treaty of Versailles was one of the most important long-term causes because it gave Hitler the ideals he needed in order to rise to power. It was Hitler’s hate for the Treaty of Versailles that fueled his ideals and cause. The Nazis also gave people food in soup kitchens. This organization showed that the Nazis were listening to

Despite the disaster it was for Hitler, the Munich Putsch was another long term effect, as it helped his popularity spread and was essential to his rise to power. Hitler’s misreading of the mood of the German people during the revolution got him arrested for treason. In the trial Hitler gained lots of publicity and his ideas were reported in newspapers. He said that “I alone bear the responsibility. But I am not a criminal because of that. If today I stand here as a revolutionary, it is as a revolutionary against the revolution. There is no such thing as high treason against the traitors of 1918." (History Place) The traitors Hitler was referring to were the “November Criminals”, the leaders who had agreed to sign the Treaty of Versailles. The newspapers quoted everything he said, and the German people as a whole had the chance to get acquainted with Hitler and many liked what they heard. The three judges in the trial were quite sympathetic towards Hitler, and gave him a light sentence of five years, instead of the lifetime sentence for treason. The Nazi Party after the Putsch was disorganized, but because of the lessons learned from the Munich Putsch and publicity Hitler gained from it, the Nazi Party was able to get back onto its feet. Furthermore Hitler wrote Mein Kampf, which outlined Hitler’s ideas, serving as a guide for the future of Germany. (History