Final answer:
Adolf Hitler capitalized on German resentment of the harsh terms of the Treaty of Versailles to rise to power, promising to undo its humiliations and restore national pride, which was a significant factor in the lead-up to World War II.
Step-by-step explanation:
Adolf Hitler exploited the German people's resentment toward the Treaty of Versailles. This agreement placed severe terms and reparations on Germany following World War I, contributing to widespread discontent and economic hardship. Hitler blamed various groups, particularly communists, socialists, and Jews, for Germany's misfortunes and positioned the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or the Nazi Party, as the solution to restoring Germany's prestige.
Explanation of Resentment: The Versailles Treaty demanded that Germany disarm, make substantial territorial concessions, and pay reparations calculated at $33 billion. Many Germans found these terms humiliating and unjust, seeing the treaty as a 'stab in the back,' particularly as the German army was still present in France and Belgium and had not been decisively defeated on the battlefield. The economic ruin that followed the war only intensified the belief that the treaty was unfairly punitive.
Hitler's rhetoric found a receptive audience among those grappling with the postwar reality. He utilized this sentiment to gain political power, promising to overturn the treaty's terms, which he did by rebuilding the military and expanding territory in violation of the treaty. The Beer Hall Putsch and the later Nazi rise to power solidified the use of the Treaty of Versailles as a focal point for nationalist propaganda and aggression that would ultimately lead to World War II.