Hitler and the Economic Recovery of Germany

In1930, Germany's manufacturing had fallen 17% from that 1927 level. Bankruptcies were increasing, unemployment was rising and farmers were hurting. Some in the middle class feared sliding into the lower class. And some in the middle class blamed the economic decline on unemployed people being unwilling to work. In 1930, the parliamentary coalition that governed Germany fell apart, and new elections were held. The biggest winner in these elections was Adolf Hitler's National Socialist Party. From twelve seats …

…t by 1935, Germany's farmers were prospering, and industrial production was above its 1929 level and rising rapidly. German workers had the right to try their employers in special courts in order to protect themselves from abuse. But more importantly, many workers and others were saying that Hitler had saved them from starvation. And they were grateful to Hitler for his having brought economic recovery -- more than the common U.S. citizen was grateful to Roosevelt.