Germany's radical changes

Over the past few decades, Germany has endured a number of difficult changes. Such as changes in their government, society and economy. Most change occurred in the aftermath of World War I, which left Germany politically unstable. After the Treaty of Versailles was passed, Germany was forced to admit fault and pay off all the debts, which lead to a harsh time of hyperinflation.

The Treaty of Versailles is interesting in every aspect. It was signed in the Hall of Mirrors in the palace of King Louis XIV, which is the same hall in which the founding of the German Empire had been declared (204). This treaty, in sense, was established to put all blame on Germany for World War I. With the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was placed under heavy legal sanctions, deprived of military power, economically ruined, and politically humiliated. Germany was forced to give up land to Poland, Belgium and other countries. The Treaty of Versailles caused a breakdown of the German Military as it states that the German Army cannot be over 100,000 men and the navy cannot sail ships larger than 100,000 tonnes. It also banned the construction of an air force and a submarine fleet.

Signing of the Treaty of Versailles at the Hall Of Mirrors

The disappointment over the terms of the treaty, continuing economic difficulties, and the oppressive conditions of the everyday life, all combined to alter the mood of the general public, making it more receptive to the propaganda campaigns of nationalist and monarch groups. Millions of people in the occupied region needed government assistance to survive; and since huge sums in taxes and custom tariffs were lost as well, the government ran up an enormous deficit that could only be made up by printing more money (210), which in turn, led to hyperinflation. As the economy broke down altogether, people had to convert their wages into goods immediately, because only a few short hours later, the money would buy practically nothing.

The period of hyperinflation caused the current currency to become worthless. At one point it took nearly 240 million marks to equal 1 US dollar. With the new currency called the Rentenmark, the economy was able to rebound. The Rentenmark has since been replaced by the East German Mark, the Deutsch Mark and now the Euro. Following the Dawes Plan, which stimulated from the first large loan from wall street, Germany had improved from the galloping inflation crisis. A financial circulation system arose that kept the transatlantic economy flourishing for years. Between 1924 and 1929, German production increased in volume by 50 percent, and many industries were able to regain their former dominance in world markets (218).

Stacks of German marks, which were practically worthless due to hyperinflation

Germany went through social changes as well. Once Hitler came into power, several things changed. The traditional concepts of European politics were foreign to him; they meant nothing to him in any case. The major change in culture was the public opinion on Jews. To reach it, Hitler first had to establish National Socialist rule irreversibly and make the party a dominant presence everywhere in the country. Hitler’s campaign made use of terror and propaganda actions designed to appear as if they (jews) had erupted spontaneously from the population, “from below” (254). Initially, bans were established around Jewish owned businesses. Hatred grew until one night, when there were a series of attacks on Jewish businesses, homes and people. This night, November 9^th, 1938 was dubbed Reichskristallnacht, “Night of Shattered Glass” (255). This is relates to the amount of windows, items and valuables that were broken on this night. In two days, over 250 synagogues were destroyed, over 7,00 Jewish businesses were trashed/looted, dozens of Jewish people were killed, and Jewish cemeteries, hospitals, schools, and homes were broken into while the police just stood by and watched. After the “Night of Shattered Glass”, for those who were not killed or incarcerated, life became even more difficult as they were not accepted anywhere they went. Already barred from entering museums, public playgrounds/areas, now they were expelled from the public schools. Many tried to flee the country, while unfortunately, many others committed suicide.

A wave of burning synagogues, Jewish-owned businesses & homes during Reichskristallnacht, “Night of Shattered Glass” 

Throughout the transitions from the German Empire to the Weimar Republic to Nazi Germany and to the current government, Germany has faced many changes that other nations have not been through. Whether some of these changes were intentional or forced upon them, Germany has learned and prospered from their rich history/experiences, and have become one of the most stable and well-established countries in the world today.