In 1918, the dust settled on World War I. Germany was defeated and signed the Treaty of Versailles, and in the face of huge reparations and territorial cedes, the German people lived under great humiliation and economic pressure. The establishment of the Weimar Republic, although it brought a brief breath of democracy to Germany, was also a period of political fragmentation and economic turmoil. In 1929, the shadow of the Great Depression overshadowed Germany, and unemployment and inflation made the domestic situation even worse. This series of chain reactions created the conditions for Hitler's rise.
At the beginning of the 1930s, the streets of Berlin were no longer bustling as they were before the war. In the cold wind, long lines of unemployed and eyes asking for help can be seen everywhere. Against this backdrop, one voice is getting louder and louder in beer halls and rallies across Germany – Adolf Hitler, a politician who claims to lead the German people to revival.
At a rally in Munich, Hitler waved a speech in his hand and shouted: "Compatriots, do you know how painful Germany is now? Our Motherland was disgraced by the Treaty of Versailles, and our economy collapsed with war reparations! ”
In the crowd, Hans, an unemployed young man, was attracted by this impassioned rhetoric. He was a blacksmith who lost his job due to the economic depression. The story of Hans is a microcosm of thousands of ordinary German families.
Hitler's Nazi Party proposed a massive infrastructure and rearmament program aimed at stimulating the economy and reducing unemployment by expanding government spending. The government's "Labor Service Corps" program has attracted a large number of young people like Hans, who have found their worth and hope for life in building roads and bridges.
"Look! Our country is recovering, our people are united! Hitler announced loudly at a mass rally. His policies seemed to be working, the economy was slowly recovering, and people's lives were noticeably better.
Behind all this is the ambition of foreign expansion and arms race. At a policy meeting, Hitler told his generals: "We must prepare for the challenges of the future, and the resources of our neighbors will be our supplement." This policy of expansion not only temporarily improved the lives of the German people, but also brought new tensions and unrest to the world.
Over time, Hitler's political machine functioned more efficiently. Through films, broadcasts, and rallies, the propaganda department constantly instilled the ideas of nationalism and heroism. Against the backdrop of this popular mobilization, Germany quickly became a military and industrial power.
By 1939, Germany's prosperity was evident, but behind this prosperity was the shadow of foreign aggression and war. Hitler's policies, although short-term solutions to unemployment and economic depression, ultimately pushed Germany towards World War II at the expense of democracy and human rights.
Germany in Hitler's era is a historical chapter full of contradictions and lessons. The rapid economic recovery brought temporary euphoria to the people, but this prosperity, based on expansion and repression, ultimately proved unsustainable. History teaches us that true national strength is not only built on economic and military success, but also on the soil of respect for human rights, justice and democracy. The German people had walked a glorious but dark road under Hitler's leadership. This history is a warning to future generations that true progress should not come at the expense of humanity and morality.