Guttersnipe
One Too Many
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well, I still maintain that the world Depression allowed those "charismatic" folks to take hold. The high unemploymebnt and lack of food helped convince the germans that the jews were to blame. If the Depression were not there, jobs, food, money, etc would be plenty and the Jews wouldn't be an issue, nor would Hitler. Same in Russia, same with Japan.
The Great Depression certainly played a role the Nazi Party gaining some popular support, but remember the hyperinflation crisis, internal political volatility, and social liberalization (increased free speech, the repeal of antisemitic statutes and draconian laws governing morality, etc.) were all hallmarks of the Weimar republic for many years before the depression; for a decade, the Nazis railed against such things. So I'd say the seeds were sewn long before 1929
However, the idea that the Great Depression caused a revival of antisemitism in Germany is plain wrong. The "science" of eugenics -- or "racial hygiene" as it was known in Germany -- traces its origins to the mid-nineteenth century. The Kaiser Wilhelm Society for the Advancement of Science, established in 1911, was at the forefront of advancing the theory of eugenics early on. However, the Kaiser Wilhelm Institute of Anthropology, Human Heredity, and Eugenics wasn't founded until 1926. Both academic institutions were instrumental in legitimizing prejudice racial by masking racism and antisemitism in pseudo-science.
You are close in so many ways as to what we here in my home look and view upon on how in the world that Hitler made his case to the population of Germany. First thing he really knew he would have to do is, to make a common cause to unite the population. So by making the wealthy business owners (of the Jewish ethnic) the "enemy of the State", he gained ground in popularity. Next up, he needed to give a reason for taking over all the businesses and telling everyone he would "turn them over to the State" so that everyone....everyone would share the wealth. Next he promised all the people that he would have social programs that would take care of all their needs, including medical care, food, etc. Now Hitler did a great deal of other things that are horrible to say the least, but by openly making all these promises and offering the programs to the general masses of the population of Germany, everyone then felt it might not be such a bad thing to allow him to run the show. We all know what he did with everything. He spent it all on war. There is some deep thinking individuals that conclude, when the once powerful German Mark fell, and that no one wanted any more currency from Germany, it would have ended the war regardless of had Hitler stuck around. The End was already there.
Actually property, real estate, and assets seized from Jews by the Nazis was given to party members and supporters as spoils of war and rewards for loyalty. In spite of the title "national socialism", Nazi Germany was anything but a socialist society.
One of the many nuances of Hitler and the Nazis was an ability to be all things to all people (like any good sociopath). Using terms like national socialism, populist rhetoric, and adopting a red flag were all calculated to appeal to the common man. However, behind closed doors, in the halls of power, the boardroom of industry, and the banquet halls of the aristocracy, it was quite a different story. Once in power, Hitler proved to be an invaluable ally to German business interests; he banned trade unions, allowed monopolistic practices, put in place defensive trade policies, and nationalized virtually nothing.