How did Nazi Germany finance itself during WW2?

Nazi Germany was like a kid who had a piggy bank and also borrowed money from friends to buy all the toys they wanted during a big party.

Bold key terms help us understand how this worked: money, borrowing, printing paper, and taking things from others.

How They Got Money

Nazi Germany got money in several ways:

  • They printed more paper money, like adding extra coins to their piggy bank.
  • They borrowed money from other countries, just like asking a friend for more toys during the party.
  • They took things from people they conquered, like taking candies from kids at the party and turning them into money.

What Happened When They Ran Out

At first, everything was great. But as the war went on, Nazi Germany used up all their toys, or money, and had to take more and more from others. In the end, they didn’t have enough candies left to keep playing, which is why they lost the big game.

Take the quiz →

Examples

  1. Imagine a country printing so much money that it becomes worthless, like a child spending all their allowance on candy.
  2. Think of soldiers being paid with paper money that's not backed by gold or silver, it’s just a promise.
  3. Nazi Germany used forced loans from conquered countries to get more money for weapons and supplies.

Ask a question

See also

Discussion

Recent activity

Nothing here yet.