Question

Explain what you think accounted for the rise of totalitarian states after World War I, including how the leaders of these states gained and kept their power.

Answer 1

Several totalitarian states developed after World War I. One of the most famous ones is Hitler's Nazi Germany. Hitler was able to gain power for several reasons. The first reason is Germany's poor economy. Thanks to the Treaty of Versailles, Germany was forced to pay reparations (aka money) for the cost of World War I to countries like Britain and France. These reparation payments caused the German economy to decline rapidly.

Another reason why Hitler was able to gain power was because of the German citizens anger with their leaders during the 1920's and early 1930's. Many German citizens felt that the government was cowardly for accepting all of the terms and conditions of the Treaty of Versailles.

These events helped lead to Hitler's rise in power. Once in power, Hitler used several different methods to maintain power. One of the most popular methods was using his secret police to threaten/kill anyone who opposed his policies. This method scared many individuals from speaking out. Along with that, he made promises to the German people to restore the country to its former glory.