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Preface
During the Weimar Republic, after the end of World War I, Germany experienced an unprecedented superinflation, with billions of marks in every German's pocket. In Germany during this period, the currency depreciated at a staggering rate, the price of bread was as high as 200 billion marks, and a week's pension was not even enough to buy a cup of coffee.
During this period, skyrocketing prices became a common phenomenon. Due to the depreciation of the currency, items that were once stable in value suddenly become worthless. The price of a loaf of bread has risen from one mark to billions, which is undoubtedly a huge shock for the general population. In addition, rising food prices have also made it difficult for restaurants to operate, and many restaurants have even stopped printing menus.
According to statistics, in 1931, the unemployment rate in Germany was as high as 25%, a total of more than 6 million people were unemployed, and hundreds of thousands of people died of disease and starvation. Suddenly a steady income became stretched thin, and they had to plan ahead, carrying suitcases for their salaries on payday, and then rushing to the nearest store to shop before the exchange rate moved. This situation makes their lives extremely stressful and difficult.
Against this backdrop, there were many unstable factors in German society during the Weimar Republic. People's quality of life has declined sharply, and social contradictions have become increasingly prominent.
Why, then, did Hitler, a poor boy from the bottom, rejuvenate Germany in just a few years?
body
There is an old saying on the mainland, which says, "Whoever wins the hearts of the people wins the world." Whether it was World War I or World War II, Germany was the one who started the war. However, shortly after World War I, Hitler was able to become Führer precisely because he was recognized by the German public.
When Hitler came to power, he promised to ensure that every household in Germany had access to milk and bread. In less than a year, the number of unemployed in Germany plummeted from 6 million to 2 million, and the country's economy boomed rapidly.
So how did Hitler do it?
The first is to borrow, the second is to rob!
In order to achieve this, he moved beyond traditional economic means and set his sights on the wealthy Jewish community. At the time, Jews were a symbol of wealth, they were good at business and possessed large assets, and despite their small population and low political status, they were undoubtedly a symbol of the "money bag". After Hitler moved to Munich in 1913, he became a staunch supporter of nationalism and anti-Semitism.
First, Hitler introduced a policy against Jews, prohibiting them from participating in any social activities. Under centralized rule, Hitler easily confiscated a large number of Jewish property and enriched the treasury.
These funds enabled Hitler to redistribute the wealth of society, making more Germans economically dependent on him and politically cultivating. After the "sacrifice" of some Jews, the German economy improved, and many Germans were able to escape the predicament of hunger and cold. Data shows that from 1932 to 1938, the German economy achieved rapid growth, helping the country to emerge from the shadow of defeat in the First World War.
Millions of Jews were enslaved by Germany, and their labor continued to sustain the empire.
According to statistics, about 6 million Jews died under the Nazi butcher's knife, and about 100 billion in property were obtained, for which the German economy has a huge amount of money.
Next, he stepped up government intervention in the economy and ordered the construction of infrastructure across the country. This has significantly increased the employment rate and provided the income needed for those who are unemployed at home. When people have an economic base, they will consume, which will lead to the development of other industries and promote the prosperity of the market. In addition, this approach has a twofold benefit: in times of war, infrastructure ensures rapid replenishment, as in the case of Nazi Germany's blitzkrieg, during which road and bridge construction played a key role.
Against this backdrop, the number of unemployed people in Germany has been significantly reduced and the economy has recovered rapidly. Subsequently, Germany amassed wealth by providing large loans to the Entente. However, Germany does not intend to repay these loans.
Then, through a series of foreign wars, Germany forcibly seized the wealth and resources of other countries, and used the opportunity of the war to cancel the previous German war reparations, and even refused to repay the previous loans.
During World War II, Switzerland not only provided Germany with war loans on several occasions, but also produced various components and advanced weapons for it. In 1940 alone, Germany received 150 million Swiss francs from Switzerland. In addition, Swiss financial institutions found that many Jews had died under the butcher's knife of Nazi Germany, while their deposits remained in Swiss banks. If the money had not been used to beg Germany for mercy, then it went directly into the pockets of Swiss banks.
As a result, Switzerland handed over Jews seeking refuge and Jews who came to withdraw their deposits to Nazi Germany in exchange for benefits. You can imagine how much profit Switzerland made in the process.
Was Hitler's commitment to developing the German economy merely to fulfill his pre-election promises? Experts point out that there are deeper intentions and ambitions behind this. The goal was not to become a wise German chancellor, but to expand the military through economic development, to build a Germanic continental system, and to make the Germanic nation a global ruler. This populist ideology pushed it to wage war, expand abroad, and eventually lead to the outbreak of World War II.
summary
As the saying goes: "The instrument is used by people, and the right thing is right, and the evil is evil." "Hitler's economic policies were indeed effective in reviving the German economy, but he used the fruits of growth for war purposes, bringing disaster to the people of the world. Policies have no attributes in themselves, and only when the rulers have good intentions can the results of the policies truly benefit the people.