In this paper I will attempt to show how Nazism came to power in the events before and during their time. I am going to try and prove that although many influences and events lead up to Nazi rule, the main theme is the desperation of the German people and ripe economic atmosphere. None of the events in my opinion without one another would have resulted in the success of Hitler or the Nazis but I will emphasize the mental state of the German themselves and how bad economic situations lead to bad choices and angry people. Nazism was born out of many extraordinary scenarios all coming together. .
One of those butterfly effect scenarios in some ways, starting with, "the shot heard around the world". After many secret alliances between various countries in Europe were made in the early 1900s, Franz Ferdinand of Austria was assassinated. (lecture) After the resulting war was the string of events to cause the rise of Nazism. Germany's surrender after the war was devastating to the German people who thought they were winning. This belief was facilitated by many Germans because of the "stab in the back" conspiracy. This was the theory that the socialist party and various agents like American spies, the Bolsheviks and the Jews, turned against the war effort. This was because the military generals who saw the need to sue for peace, did not want to take the blame for calling it quits. In fact no one wanted the responsibility to call for surrender. It fell on to the shoulders of the German Socialist Party who of course took the blame by the German people. A certain pride was lost, a part of their soul. They needed someone to blame, an explanation on why when it seemed victory was certain. No one told them that resources were running out and since no fighting was happening on German soil fueled this myth. (Lecture) Another nail in the coffin to the Germans was the Treaty of Versailles signed in 1919.