At the end of the 1920s, the "rural people's movement" protested against social decline. The protest turns into a radical movement whose anger Hitler and the NSDAP use for themselves. Hitler's party begins to specifically train speakers, it becomes more visible to the voters. Even workers who are actually close to left-wing parties are receptive to their slogans. The result: in 1932 the NSDAP became the strongest party in the Reichstag. The documentary shows how the consequences of the global economic crisis, which began in the USA and also led to poverty and unemployment in Germany, had devastating effects on the Weimar Republic. Emotions instead of knowledge But how can a party like the NSDAP, which openly fights democracy, gain such popularity? The rediscovered questionnaires from over 500 workers and employees from the period between 1929 and 1932 provide clues. The material reveals that workers affiliated with left-wing parties were also receptive to nationalist slogans. In addition: In order to bind people to themselves, the NSDAP specifically relies on emotions. The Hitler party stands out from the democratic parties. When the economic crisis reached a climax in 1932 and six million Germans were looking for work, the seeds were already in the ground. The NSDAP becomes the strongest party in the Reichstag. With the help of conservative circles, Reich President Hindenburg undermines what remains of democracy. What favored the rise of the Nazis? With the ten-part documentary series "War and Holocaust - The German Abyss", ZDFinfo sets a cinematic accent against forgetting. The project tells of the rise and fall of National Socialism from an international perspective and examines the causes of the break in civilization committed by Germans, which led from a crisis-ridden democracy to war and genocide. Rare, partly newly discovered film and photo recordings as well as 40 top-class experts such as Richard J. Evans, Mary Fulbrook, Peter Longerich, Moshe Zimmermann, Alexandra Richie and Götz Aly enable a comprehensive view of history between 1918 and 1948. Based on the most recent In addition to the motives of the perpetrators, the series also focuses on the responsibility of a significant part of the German population at the time. What fueled the rise of the Nazis that paved the way for the genocide of the Jews?