After World War One ended in 1918, defeated Germany
was left in great economic and political turmoil. Germany
was in need of someone to bring back its lost power, and Adolf Hitler was just
the man. Hitler joined the German Workers Party (Nazi Party) in 1919, and
soon he became one of its seven leaders. Hitler also began to train a small
militia. He became very popular once he launched a speaking tour where he
accused Jews of causing Germany
to lose the war and discussed the creation of a German empire. In 1933,
Hitler became the Chancellor of Germany and began the expansion of the Third
Reich. Hitler's actions alarmed several European leaders, which led to
their meeting in 1938. The Munich Agreement and the attempt to
appease Hitler was a diplomatic failure that ultimately led to World
War II and the Holocaust.
Adolf Hitler (courtesy of "Nazism: Past and Present")