How+did+the+Nazis+gain+power?

("Hitler")

The Nazis, lead by Adolf Hitler, took Germany by storm. The small political group, once called the German Worker’s Party, gained much popularity in a short period of time. There are different theories as to why and how Hitler earned so many followers.

The small group of Germans went through struggles on their way to domination. The party tried to take force of the country by participating in a coup d’etat in the city of Munich. When that attempt failed, Hitler was arrested and put in jail. Hopes of success for the German Worker’s Party were almost gone, but when Hitler was in jail, he wrote a world-renowned book, //Mein Kampf//, which means “My Struggle.” In this anti-Semitic text, Hitler focuses on the idea of Jewish world domination and the superiority of the Aryan race. After being released from jail, his books gained popularity and spread this idea all across Europe, greatly influencing the way that many people saw Jews.

Some people believe that Germany’s economic depression in the late 20’s and early 30’s caused chaos and unrest in the country. German people were fearful of communist power and they were looking for someone or something to blame their financial troubles on, so they chose the Jews. There was a great deal of anti-Semitic propaganda circulating, such as Hitler's book, //Mein Kampf,// and and the //Protocols,// another collection of texts describing the Jews plan to achieve world domination. Things such as this created tension between Jews and non-Jews and at this point many people agreed with Hitler and his party. Some historians say that Hitler simply took advantage of the already present hate for Jews that was developing in Europe. Germany was not only being affected by economic troubles, but the government as a whole was failing to please the people. Therefore, citizens looked to an alternative source for help. They wanted new ideas because they were resentful of their previous form of leadership.

Adolf Hitler’s public speaking skills and manipulative ways earned him the trust of thousands of people. With a huge support system, Hitler and the Nazi party were able to pull off most of what they wanted, including the Holocaust.

("The Rise of Hitler")