The atmosphere in Germany during the period before the Great War was filled with a feeling of nationalism and anticipation. Four years later, Germany was deeply handicapped by economic, political and social turmoil. Millions of soldiers were wasted, infrastructure had been demolished, the economy was in a severe condition and there was political disorder. The Treaty of Versailles and the Great Depression further aggravated the situation. With such anarchy, the Germans looked frantically for a saviour. This saviour came in the most unlikely form, Fascism, an ideology characterised by one-party rule and suppression. The fascist dominator was Adolf Hitler. However, the rise of Hitler and his comrades, the National Socialists, was significantly aided by the chaotic condition of the nation, were every social class was in a state of despair, uncertainty and fanaticism.

One of the major reasons as to why the situation of Germany had deteriorated was...