The 1920s
by Daniel Castillo, Carlos Magaña, Steven Molina
(authors page, course homepage)

Introduction

Since the end of World War II, historians have attempted to explain how Adolf Hitler rose to power. Innumerable arguments have been suggested; this research paper will primarily focus on the arguments that have been put forward by historians concerning the Versailles Treaty and the economic factors that plagued the German state. The research paper is a attempt to demonstrate how Hitler utilized the sentiments of the German populace regarding the Versailles Treaty and how subsequently Hitler used the German economic situation to his advantage. Utilizing the prominent post-war ideals of resentment and distraught Hitler was able to rise to power. Hitler's ascendance to power began with his involvement with the National Socialist Party in Germany (National-Sozialistische Deutsche ArbeiterPartei), whose leader he became in 1921. Hitler's main focus concerning the future of Germany involved the notion of supremacy. Hitler was determined to recapture the splendor of the German fatherland.

• Versailles Treaty (updated page; original page)
• German Economy following WWI (link to page)
• Hitler's Rise to Power (link to page)

We consulted the following books and websites to find out more about this topic:

• Birdsall, Paul. Versailles Twenty Years After. Hamden Connecticut: Archon Books, 1962 (CM)
• Dawson, William Harbutt. Germany Under The Treaty. New York: Books For Libraries Press, 1972. (CM)
• Hening, Ruth. Versailles and After 1919-1933. New York: Lancaster Pamphlets, 1984. (CM)
• Sweezy, Maxine Y. The Structure of the Nazi Economy. Cambridge Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1941. (DC)
• Lieberman, Ben. From Recovery to Catastrophe. New York: Berghahn Books, 1998. (DC)
• Collotti, Enzo. Hitler And Nazism. New York :Interlink Books, 1998. (SM)
• Heiden, Konrad. Der Fuehrer Hitler's Rise to Power. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 1944. (SM)

Linkography

http://library.thinkquest.org/CR0215466/treaty_of_versailles.htm (CM)

http://www.joric.com/conspiracy/versailles.htm (CM)

http://www.castilleja.org/faculty/peggy_mckee/WWIIHolocaust/wwii.html (CM)

http://www.pvhs.chico.k12.ca.us/~bsilva/projects/germany/3rdreich/econ_recov.htm (DC)

http://www.mwsc.edu/orgs/germanclub/inflation2.html (DC)

http://www.hcc.hawaii.edu/~patrick/152/152%20Lectures/Outlines/prelude_to_wwii.htm (DC)

http://www.rossel.net/Holocaust01.htm (SM)

http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/(SM)

http://www2.dsu.nodak.edu/users/dmeier/Holocaust/hitler.html (SM)