The roots of the National Socialist Party (Nazism) begin with the aftermath of German defeat in World War I. As a result of the Treaty of Versailles, Germany alone was forced to pay huge reparations and had to decrease the size of its military. Huge inflation rates caused a flood of poverty. During this time period right and left wing political groups arose to attempt to win control over the country. The German Workers Party was one of the right wing groups.

In 1919 Hitler rose to leadership of the German Workers Party by speaking to a tired and beaten people about nationalism and militarism. Part of this nationalism was the idea of a "racially pure" Germany. Hitler blamed Jews for the German peoples' suffering. Hitler changed the name of the German Workers Party to the National Socialist German Workers Party in short, the Nazi party.

Hitler tried to...