In 1929 the Wall Street crash occurred and depressed America's economy. Germany who was beholden to the USA for loans to cover reparations costs from the First World War was forced to pay back its loans. Unemployment rose to 6 million and many Germans were left in poverty. Many people blamed the Treaty of Versailles and its costly reparation bill. The crisis of the Ruhr which had led to hyperinflation in 1923 was also fresh in people's minds and many Germans arguably felt that a democratic system was ineffective in managing Germany's economy. Many turned to communism and even more turned to Nazism which promised a strong German state.