Hitler tried and failed to seize power in Germany during the Beer Hall Putsch, a short-lived revolt against the German government. Germany suffered from chaotic political and economic conditions after World War I (1914–1918). There was a great deal of violence between rival political factions. One of these factions was the Nazi Party, which was led by Hitler.

Although sentenced to five years for his role in the Putsch, Hitler served only about nine months in jail. He wrote Mein Kampf (My Struggle) while imprisoned. Hitler's book laid out his ideas for lebensraum (living space), aggressive war, and the superiority of the German race. He worked assiduously to implement his plans after becoming chancellor in 1933.

After the failure of his revolt and prison sentence, Hitler decided to seek power gradually through relatively peaceful means. The German government, the Weimar Republic, was typically weak and ineffectual. Moreover, it had signed the Treaty of Versailles to end WWI, and that treaty severely punished Germany. Hitler's promise to scrap that treaty and restore German dignity attracted millions of followers. In spite of his growing popularity, Hitler probably would not have become chancellor had it not been for the Great Depression. Unemployment and poverty soared in Germany after 1929. In 1932, the Nazi Party took advantage of the situation to win a plurality of votes, and Hitler was named chancellor.