The Great Depression was a global collapse of economies which largely affected the post-war countries which tried to rebuild their nations after the First World War. Depressions have been sporadically evident throughout history, for example the Panic of 1837, a stock-market crash in the USA and the Post-Communist Depressions in the 1970s until the 1990s, which were recessions caused by the break-up of former Yugoslavia, however the most well-known is the Great Depression which started in 1929, and lasted as long as the early 1940’s. During this time, many people lost their jobs, prices went up, and people were impoverished. Of course the most affected countries were those that had participated in the First World War, the losers in particular. Germany’s economy had ground to a halt near the end of World War One, and yet by accepting US loans and foreign investment Germany had started the rejuvenation of their economy. Although there was some improvement in the economy, the Weimar Republic, the German government instated by the Allies was weak and ineffective. This weakness made it easier for radical extremist groups whether they be Communists, followers of the Marxist ideologies, or Nazis, people adhering to racist fascism, to sway public opinion. The issues that undoubtedly followed the Great Depression were alterations in the supply and demand, increased unemployment, inflation and devaluation of the German Mark, currency used in Germany, widespread unhappiness, and of course inevitable radicalization of the public. In addition to these problems Germany was still entangled in the bureaucracy and fiscal conditions ordained within the Treaty of Versailles, such as the extensive amount of reparations to be made, which due to the depression became impossible to pay. Although the Weimar Republic did attempt at improving Post-war conditions as well as reducing reparations, and enacting a passive resistance, it did not meet the demands of the German public who wanted a different government.
