Germany

After World War I the Germans signed the Treaty of Versailles because they had no choice. Their nation had been beaten. The treaty was hard on Germany.

• They had to admit that they had caused the war.
• They had to pay large amounts of money to the Allied nations.
• They also had to promise that they would never again have a big army, navy, or air force.

During the 1920's inflation hit Germany. The price of bread went from 5 marks to 1,000,000,000 marks. Many Germans were without work. The Germans looked for a leader who could help them through these bad times.

Adolf Hitler became that leader. He believed in a form of government called Fascism. A Fascist government controls the total life of its people. In the 1930's one political party became very powerful. It was the National Socialist Party (Nazi). Hitler became its leader.

Hitler and the Nazi Party did many violent and illegal things to take over the government.

• Hitler formed a private army to beat up or kill anyone who spoke against him.
• He talked to young people and told them Germany must become a work power.
• He spoke against the Treaty of Versailles.
• He spoke against Jews, Communists, and others.

In August of 1934 Hitler had full control of the German government.