After WWI and the Treaty of Versailles, the German economy was Left a wreck, as other countries also exploited German weakness and resources. Hitler and the Nazis were especially adept at propaganda, which they embraced as a means to exploit Xenophobic fears while promoting nationalistic ideals. Promises of a return to greatness and reacquiring lost territories enabled Hitler to rise to power, as the Nazis reigned terror over political enemies, imagined and real. Many people just looked the other way as the long list of atrocities grew—as long as Hitler made the trains run on time.