Great Depression responsible for WWII?

[SenorXm/Sirius]

Sorry if I am coming off as deliberately difficult. Maybe I am having a bad day. You are obviously informed, but so am I. Maybe I cannot make myself understood right now. I happen to be reading a book about Hitler's youth in Vienna. I hope my reading comprehension is better than my writing is today.

NewfieMom

Hitler was a failed artist in his younger days in Vienna... He blamed the Jews for that too...

Have a nice day..

 

[NewfieMom]

Hitler was a failed artist in his younger days in Vienna... He blamed the Jews for that too...

Well, it's a 406 page book not counting the footnotes and bibliography, so I hope it add a bit more information to that. I'll let you know. In fact I can already tell you that it starts out in Linz with his childhood.

 

[SenorXm/Sirius]

Well, it's a 406 page book not counting the footnotes and bibliography, so I hope it add a bit more information to that. I'll let you know. In fact I can already tell you that it starts out in Linz with his childhood.

I've read dozens of books about Hitler, specifically from the years 1918-1939.. It was an interesting, and scary time period..

 

[Grand Mal]

Did America's Great Depression in the 1920's and 30's have anything to do with starting WWII?

It did spread across the world.

The Treaty of Versailles had more to do with it. The Depression was pretty much over in the US before the War started.

 

[NewfieMom]

I've read dozens of books about Hitler, specifically from the years 1918-1939.. It was an interesting, and scary time period..

Was that your field of study? I had planned to make it mine, but changed course. Back beforeThe Dawn of Time when I was still studying formally. I am ancient.

 

[SenorXm/Sirius]

Was that your field of study? I had planned to make it mine, but changed course. Back beforeThe Dawn of Time when I was still studying formally. I am ancient.

I'm beyond ancient... Lol.
I always found history interesting and at times fascinating. And with what went on in Germany in that time was shocking. An argument could be made that Germany was the most civilzed country in the world. The country of Einstein and Beethoven.. Yet it went completely insane for 13 years..

 

[Luther]

Yes. Under the Dawnes and Young Plan Germany had been able to crawl out of its post-WWI economic turmoil somewhat through loans from American banks. The collapse of that option shattered Germany's already tenuous economy and crippled the German public's support for capitalism, which paved the way for the Nazi Party (which distinguished itself as being both anti-capitalist and anti-communist) to rise to prominence.

Germany's already tenuous economy

which paved the way for the Nazi Party

Just stop right there

 

[Luther]

Germany's enemies demanding reparations for WWI are more responsible for WWII than we are.

The Great Depression was made worse by American optimism. People kept saying the economy will get better any day now, when the economy was spiraling down.

So you can say optimism, in part, started WWII.

Germany's enemies demanding reparations for WWI are more responsible for WWII than we are

So I suppose that had the same effect on Japan invading the U.S. too?(LOL)

 

[Jredbaron96]

Just stop right there

...what?

 

[NewfieMom]

...what?

I, also, do not know what is supposed to be stopped (I assume discussion) and why. I am not sure that participants to this thread have any startling new insights about the topic to share, but I also have no idea what was said in this thread that might be deemed offensive. (I am assuming if we are supposed to stop the discussion it is because something offensive was said.)

 

[ludin]

I agree that the Depression affected Germany's economy. When the United States could no longer help Germany pay its war reparations to the UK and France, the German economy suffered. Looking at it from the point of European history, I would say that World War I also caused World War II. The terms of The Versailles Treaty were very harsh on Germany and its struggles to pay war reparations left it more impverished than other western European countries. Add to that the many slights to Germany's pride, like losing Danzig and "The Polish Corridor" and feeling constrained in its aspirations to become a greater Germany (incorporating Austria and also the Sudetenland in Czechoslovakia). All of this left Hitler with a lot of resentment with which to work. World War I left Germany with scars that were both psychic and economic.

I would say that the treaty was the biggest factor. It completely crushed germany to the point of not being able to do anything.
While the depression didn't help germany was already under major financial crisis from the treaty and the restrictions that was imposed in it.

Hitler was already and up and coming rising star in german politics during this time. he slowly gained power while dispatching those that were against him.
He very much harnessed a populism stand point that germany had been lacking and people needed as they were crushed under the treaty.

he blamed the jews which is typical of most dictators even though the jews had little to do with anything.
he was just an anti-Semitic bastard in that regard.

One of the bigger issues was the collapse of the first UN.
It was pretty much a disaster all the way around.

However despite that fact WWII saved FDR and the US out of the great depression there is no getting around it.

 

[ludin]

Just stop right there

exactly the nazi party had already been on the rise prior to the great depression.

 

[ludin]

I, also, do not know what is supposed to be stopped (I assume discussion) and why. I am not sure that participants to this thread have any startling new insights about the topic to share, but I also have no idea what was said in this thread that might be deemed offensive. (I am assuming if we are supposed to stop the discussion it is because something offensive was said.)

The nazi party or the socialist party was already on the rise before the great depression. germany was already suffering major economic issues prior to the great depression.
hilter had already gained a bit of traction before that time and the depression gave him the final push but was not the main cause.

 

[NewfieMom]

One of the bigger issues was the collapse of the first UN.

Yes, The League of Nations that Woodrow Wilson very much wanted to start.

 

[NewfieMom]

The nazi party or the socialist party was already on the rise before the great depression. germany was already suffering major economic issues prior to the great depression.
hilter had already gained a bit of traction before that time and the depression gave him the final push but was not the main cause.

Absolutely.

 

[Jredbaron96]

The nazi party or the socialist party was already on the rise

I don't think that's really accurate. German elections showed the Nazis routinely scoring low before the Great Depression. It wasn't until afterwards that their stock really skyrocketed.

 

[NewfieMom]

Absolutely.

To understand how Hitler was able to come to power one must understand the enormous impact (and unfairness) of The Versailles Treaty on Germany. Germany was forced to accept full responsibility for the war; to pat war reparations; and to give up territory. It was a national humiliation and also, financially, a national disaster.

I think this website is pretty good in providing a basic understanding of what The Treaty did.

Germany and the Treaty of Versailles | Schoolshistory.org.uk

Germany and the Treaty of Versailles The Treaty of Versailles was received very badly within Germany. The nation had been blamed entirely for the first world war and had been forced to pay compensation to the allies under the war guilt clause of the treaty. The war guilt clause not only made the...

schoolshistory.org.uk

 

[NewfieMom]

I don't think that's really accurate. German elections showed the Nazis routinely scoring low before the Great Depression. It wasn't until afterwards that their stock really skyrocketed.

I think you are both right. Hitler was making the Nazi Party grow, but it was not until about 1930 that it had national impact. Then von Hindenburg felt pressured to appoint him Chancellor and ultimately lost all power to him.

 

[PoS]

Yes, The League of Nations that Woodrow Wilson very much wanted to start.

He did help start it up, but one of the reasons why it failed was because America didnt want to be a part of it.