Final answer:
The German government and its people faced severe economic hardships due to the reparations payments mandated by the Treaty of Versailles, leading to hyperinflation and a sense of national humiliation, which contributed to the rise of fascism and the support for Hitler.
Step-by-step explanation:
The cost of World War I was borne heavily by the German people and the Weimar government. After the war, Germany was held responsible for causing the conflict and was required to make enormous reparations payments to the Allies. The terms of the Treaty of Versailles left Germany with reduced territories, a diminished military, and a struggling economy characterized by inflation and unemployment. This economic crisis was exacerbated by the reparations, which included payments in gold, coal, and timber, and culminated in hyperinflation when the government printed more money to pay striking workers during the French occupation of the Ruhr Valley. The sense of humiliation and the 'Stab in the Back' myth, which blamed Germany’s defeat on internal betrayal rather than military shortcomings, fed into the rise of fascism and the eventual support for Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party, who promised to rectify these injustices and restore German pride and power.