Introduction: Strength and Weakness

Dispirited and shamed by the low estate to which Germany had fallen with its defeat in the First World War, German citizens were ready for strong leadership. They were alert for a leader who promised to restore national pride and rebuild the German economy. Hitler promised such leadership; his anti-Semitic harangues also struck a chord with many Germans. Both Jews and communists served as handy scapegoats, the former because of historic German prejudices, the latter as challengers of traditional authority.