A famous paradox in German history at the beginning of the 0th century: before the Nazis came to power, the German economy was almost collapsed and the people were struggling to survive, but after Hitler came to power, the German economy suddenly "came back to life", what is the mystery behind this?
And where did this "life-saving money" come from?
First of all, we need to clarify how "poor" Germany was before the Nazis took power.
According to historians, at the end of the Weimar Republic in 1923, Germany suffered an unprecedented hyperinflation. At that time, the depreciation of the mark currency in circulation was like a wild horse, and there was even an outrageous situation where bread cost 4.3 billion marks.
The average worker's monthly salary is often only enough to buy a stamp. It was against this backdrop of boiling public discontent and economic collapse that the Nazis took advantage of the situation and sounded the clarion call of "savior".
However, the economic "myth" of the Nazis did not come to fruition overnight.
One of the first steps Hitler took when he came to power was the full implementation of the "employment program", which is known as "unemployment benefits".
Through large-scale infrastructure construction, such as building highways and renovating cities, the government quickly created a large number of jobs.
According to statistics, between 1933 and 1936, the number of unemployed people in Germany fell sharply from 6 million to 1.6 million, a drop of 73%.
At the same time, Germany's GDP is growing at an average annual rate of 10 percent. It can be said that the initial stage of the employment plan has indeed achieved the results of the "iron rice bowl".
But the ongoing fiscal stimulus has also brought concerns. "Paying for the employment plan" by expanding credit, issuing Treasury bills, etc., is tantamount to overdrawing the future and accumulating inflation risks.
What's more, the jobs that can be created by these initiatives are limited and cannot be sustained indefinitely.
In fact, by 1936, the marginal effect of the employment program had diminished, and the economy was beginning to show signs of overheating. To further stimulate the Nazi regime, it began to turn its attention to an even more dangerous area – the arms race.
This leads to the second "secret" of the Nazis' fund-raising - the frenzied construction of war machines.
In 1936, Hitler openly tore up the Treaty of Versailles and massively expanded his armaments. Between 1937 and 1939 alone, Germany's military spending quadrupled, and its share of GDP soared from 8 percent to 23 percent.
Such a frenzied arms race has not only created jobs and boosted industry, but also laid the foundation for reckless militarism. And in order to fill the huge hole in military spending, the Nazis turned their ideas on neighboring countries.
First the annexation of Austria, then the annexation of the Czech Republic, and finally the ferocious launch of World War II. It can be said that behind the economic "prosperity" of the Nazis, at the cost of plunder and war.
It was not until the defeat and surrender that the Nazis' economic bubble was finally punctured.
Data shows that inflation in Germany during the war was as high as 500%, and the national wealth was lost.
What is even more painful is that this human catastrophe has left an eternal scar on the world.
Reflecting on history, we can't help but ask: is the Nazi economy still worthy of praise if it came at the cost of tens of millions of lives? If we want to overdraft the future and push the country into the abyss of war, will this "prosperity" last long?
Readers, history is the best textbook. The lessons of the Nazi economy warn us that any "quick fix" that is divorced from reality, any "prosperity" based on plunder and aggression, will not escape a short-lived outcome.
At present, peaceful development and mutual benefit are the right path for mankind. Only by practicing what we do, creating wealth through hard work, and achieving reciprocity through openness, can human society usher in lasting and inclusive prosperity.
How do you feel about the heavy history of Nazi Germany? How can we learn from history and create a better future? Welcome to leave your thoughts in the comment area, let us work together to defend peace and create a brilliant life!