What were Germans' lives like before the start of World War 2?

Answer 1

1. After WW1 Germany was deeply divided between left and right. 2. In the aftermath of WW1 there was considerable violence and unrest in some parts of Germany. This came to an end in 1923. 3. The Treaty of Versailles caused much resentment, especially the loss of territory to Poland and the 'War Guilt Clause', which formed the basis of the demand for reparations. (There were also those who were convinced that Germany hadn't been defeated at all, and who hoped to fight a 're-run' of WW1). Nevertheless, the impression given by some history books and websites that the whole population was seething obsessively with hatred and just waiting for an opportunity to fight again, is very misleading. 4. There was severe inflation from 1919 till 1923, when the currency was stabilized. Those with savings lost, while those with large debts did well. 5. From about 1924-29 Germany benefited from the Roaring Twenties. The political scene was much calmer, too. 6. The period from 1919-32 saw much experimentation in the arts and the cinema. The German cultural scene was widely admired abroad as very advanced, even ahead of its time, 6. Germany suffered particularly badly from the Great Depression, and by 1932 at least 25% of the workforce was unemployed. Political unrest returned, and ultimately Hitler became Chancellor in 1933. 7. From mid 1933 onwards the government embarked on a massive rearmament programme, which meant that by about 1935 or slightly later, nearly all male (Aryan) Germans had jobs. The reintroduction of consciption (compulsory military service) in 1935 also played an important part in reducing unemployment. (In 1935 it became a punishable offence for men of working age to be 'work-shy', and those who didn't accept the jobs allocated to them could be sent to concentration camps). In the late 1930s it wasn't simply a matter of full (Aryan) employment, but there was also a modest rise in living standards, too. 8. From 1933 onwards, with the creation of a totalitarian r