The Great Depression in Germany
As the U.S. suffered in the grips of the infamous Great Depression of the late 1920's and early 30's, the reformed German nation had even greater worries. Due to a $33 billion war deficit outlined in the Treaty of Versailles, along with a war ravaged economy and farmland, the Germans were already in the grips of widespread poverty when the U.S. fell into the Depression. In order to the restimulate U.S. national trade and business, President Herbert Hoover raised U.S. tarriff rates to an an all-time high, severely limiting international trade with the economic giant. With their primary market gone, the German economy competely collapsed with titanic aftershocks. This miasma of poverty and desperation led Germans to look to a strong leader to rescue them, a leader who would betray their hopes and instigate a bloody struggle for the future of the world.