Middle-aged Europe
Old Europe
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« on: July 09, 2008, 08:47:44 AM » |
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Primary reason: The Great Depression combined with the fact that Germans had about as high a opinion of democracy as the current population of Russia.
Secondary reason: Hindenburg and a lot of people around him were a) idiots and b) seriously underestimating Hitler.
While you could name the Treaty of Versailles as another reason (and it certainly played some role), I also happen to think that it is a bit overrated. You have to keep in mind that the Nazi party actually had been in decline in the mid/late-20ies... until it was "saved" by the Great Depression.
1924 (I): 6.6%
1924 (II): 3.0%
1928: 2.6%
1930: 18.3%
1932 (I): 37.4%
1932 (II): 33.1%
The Nazis did not become a viable political force until 1929/30.
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