Explain any five causes for the rise of Nazism.
Following are five important causes for the rise of Nazism:
Humiliating Treaty of Versailles - The terms of the Versailles Treaty were seen as completely humiliating and the Germans blamed the political leadership of the Weimar Republic for the humiliation. This widespread resentment and humiliation was harnessed by Hitler to gain political mileage. He exhorted the Germans to throw the Treaty into the waste-paper basket, rebuild the German empire, recapture lost colonies and avenge the humiliation faced by Germany.
Growing Fear of Communism - After the Bolshevik Revolution, the Communist influence in Germany also increased. They organised themselves politically and succeeded in winning several seats in the Reichstag. Hitler was a staunch anti-Communist and raised the bogey that if Communists came to power they would follow the diktats of their Russian comrades blindly.
Economic Crisis - As a result of the harsh terms of the Versailles Treaty, Germany had to suffer in agricultural production, colonies, foreign investments, trade contracts, etc. Foreign countries raised tariff against German goods, unemployment and debt of the peasantry increased to such an extent that in June 1931, it went upto 300 million dollars. Hitler promised farmers that he would pardon their debt and promised the capitalists that there would be no nationalisation of industries. The Nazis in general assured the people that if they supported Nazism, all their problems would vanish.
Resurgence of Militant Nationalism - The Germans could not reconcile with the intricacies of the democratic parliamentary system and preferred prestige and glory over liberty and freedom. They felt that only a strong man could restore the past prestige of Germany and check Communism.
Absence of Strong Opposition - The rise of the Nazi party can be partly blamed on the absence of any strong opposition group or political party. As a result, the Nazi Party didn’t have any serious political opposition and nobody could check the rise in its popularity.