Introduction
After the First World War Germany was facing serious political and economic crises due to capitulation. War loss led to the implications of the Treaty of Versailles, which was a peace pact that required Germany to undergo a loss of territory, colonies and some of the world power as a consequence of the country’s actions during the war. Although the Treaty was enacted, active inner Nazi propaganda within Germany was gradually turning the population against it, which resulted in its later inefficiency.
The Implications of the Treaty of Versailles
For the Party, which was reinforcing Nazism, the Treaty of Versailles was a crucial part of their structured propaganda. It was pointing out a connection between the crisis in the country and the groups of people who were useful to partially blame, such as Socialists, Communists, social leftists, and Jews (Yonkman 6). Like this, using a context of the change within Germany’s world power, they were defining an image of the enemies of the country, which resulted in civil unrest and paranoia.
Gradually, the Treaty’s continuous massive portrayal as a threat to Germany significantly affected the global situation. Propaganda exploited “existing fear, opposition, and discontent” in order to enhance Nazi movement (Yonkman 7). This way, Hitler was able to increase civil discontent and to channel it to the portrayed enemy, reinforcing later military actions. Therefore, while certain countries were focusing on fixing the order and gradually overcoming the consequences of the war, Germany was collecting the power in order to eventually strike.
However, as Hitler and Stalin signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, diplomatic dynamics have changed significantly. Fragile peace, created by the Treaty of the Versailles, became insufficient mostly due to this alliance, as both nations had military plans regarding other European countries. Thus, Germany’s political actions, which were partially based on the economical difficulties, throughout the time period between 1920s and 1930s were progressively leading to the reinforcement of the war and abolishment of the peaceful pact.
Conclusion
As a conclusion, the way that the peaceful pact of Versailles impacted the economic and political situation in Germany was portrayed as the main threat to the nation’s wellbeing. This specific targeting of a peaceful pact majorly contributed to the military agitation in Europe due to the calculated Nazi propaganda and Hitler’s political interests. Hence, seemingly peaceful time period between 1920s and 1930s was in fact filled with expanding tension and preparations for military actions.
Bibliography
Yonkman M. The Treaty of Versailles and the Rise of Nazism in Germany, 1918-1933. – 2021.