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Ifch317 t1_ja3jq4w wrote

One of the big lies that Hitler told was that German leaders stabbed Germany in the back, and the treaty of Versailles was a betrayal of the country. This was a point of view that was very appealing in Munich , but may have had only minority appeal in Berlin or Hamburg or other cities. National Socialists were successful in winning over the nation because they were first successful in Munich. The subsequent march to power of the Nazis is unique and absolutely unpredictable - it was not fated because of the depression or because of the treaty of Versailles. It was accomplished by turning a toe-hold into a foot hold and eventually turning a fire at the Reichstag into a cause for a power grab, then consolidating power by a night of murdering potential threats etc etc etc.

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LateInTheAfternoon t1_ja3m1hn wrote

The myth is not of Hitler's making, though. It was peddled by Ludendorff and others at the end of the war to deflect blame. The German public was kept unaware of the disastrous state of the army at the end of the war as well as the fact that the state finances had been run into the ground. Going all in the German government had also taken on huge debts which they only realistically could repay if the war was won and they could have France, Russia and the UK pay war indemnities. This was a failed gambit that proved to be extremely costly.

Edit: typos (thanks autocorrect).

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