German Nationalism and the Lost Roman Legions
Two German Leaders – Hermann and Hitler
Before Hitler rose to power, most Germans agreed that the Fatherland was in poor financial condition. World War I had devastated the economy so that unemployment grew stronger with each passing year and by 1933, it had reached an all-time high. In addition, the German people were humiliated after losing World War I. Poverty had sapped their strength as well as their national pride and they saw nothing but a dark future ahead for themselves.
The Rise of German Nationalism
World War I was known as "the war to end all wars." So many people were killed and so much destruction inflicted that the world powers caught up in fighting the war wanted to punish Germany severely. When the Allied leaders drew up the peace treaty at Versailles at the end of the war, they imposed harsh conditions to ensure that Germany would never again rise to a position where it could start another world war.
The Treaty of Versailles
The treaty forced Germany to accept full responsibility for World War I and, as a punishment, Germany had to surrender its territories. The Germans also had to pay reparations in the amount of $32 billion for war damages. The terms of the treaty also insisted that a democratic government, called the Weimar Republic, be installed.
A New Leader Steps Forward
In 1933 the Republic didn't appear to be working very well and the people hoped that a strong leader would step forward and propose solutions for the problems. Many didn't care how radical these solutions might be and were ready to try about anything.
Adolf Hitler had been a German soldier in World War I and now he had his own ideas and believed he could solve the problems of Germany. However the citizens had mixed feelings when Hitler was elected that year. He promised to defy the Treaty of Versailles and rebuild the military, and also vowed to would stop payment of the reparations so that Germany could once again grow stronger than it had ever been.
A Path to Disaster?
Many Germans feared that Hitler would involve the country in yet another war. Indeed this was exactly what he had in mind and he told them that now unity would be their greatest asset. They would not be fighting for themselves but for the Fatherland as a whole. But what was it about Germany's history and its people that allowed this particular country to place itself back on another certain path to disaster?
Germany's History
To answer this question, look back to 9 C.E. when the Roman army, led by Publius Quinctilius Varus, was invading the Germanic tribes in northern Europe to bring them into the Empire. In the darkness of Teutoberg Forest, the Germans ambushed and wiped out three Roman Legions. They massacred every soldier and destroyed the evidence. For many months the leaders in Rome had no idea what had happed to their three legions. It was as if the soldiers had walked off the face of the earth.
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