History Lesson: The Economic Foundations of Fascism: How Financial Crisis Enabled Nazi Power (Part 3)

The Nazis didn't rise to power in a vacuum - they exploited the worst economic crisis in modern German history. The combination of war debt, hyperinflation, and the Great Depression created a perfect fucking storm that made people desperate enough to embrace fascism.

The Economic Legacy of War

World War I left Germany economically crippled. Dr. Adam Tooze's "The Wages of Destruction" (2006) details how the Versailles Treaty's reparations demands - 132 billion gold marks - were designed to keep Germany permanently weakened. The war had already drained Germany's reserves and disrupted trade networks. The reparations were basically a financial death sentence.

The Hyperinflation Nightmare

The 1923 hyperinflation destroyed the middle class's savings and faith in democracy. Dr. Richard Evans documents in "The Coming of the Third Reich" (2003) how prices increa…