Final answer:
The Nazis exploited feelings of national humiliation, economic distress, and anti-Semitic sentiments to gain and maintain power in Germany. They blamed Jewish people and other 'inferior' groups for societal issues, leading to horrific policies and acts like the establishment of ghettos and concentration camps.
Step-by-step explanation:
Feelings Exploited by Nazis
The Nazis effectively exploited emotions such as national humiliation, economic distress, and racist ideologies among Germans to secure power. After World War I, Germany faced tremendous economic and political instability, which the Nazis blamed on the Weimar Republic and the Versailles Treaty, branding it as a national 'stab in the back.' The Nazis' anti-liberal, hyper-nationalist rhetoric included claims to restore German pride, unity, and prosperity.
They also utilized anti-Semitic propaganda, painting Jewish people as a malicious outgroup responsible for societal ills. The dehumanization tactics likened Jews to 'vermin,' reinforcing pre-existing anti-Semitic sentiments. Nazi propaganda, led by Joseph Goebbels, created a narrative of Jewish people being an existential threat, thus attempting to morally justify the Holocaust.
The Nazis' exploitation of the tensions resulted in aggressive policies and actions towards deemed 'inferior' groups, such as the establishment of ghettos, forced labor, and ultimately, the concentration camps during the Holocaust.