Can Hitler be credited with ending the Great Depression?

I'm a bit late to commenting on Christina Romer's Sunday op-ed on monetary policy and the Great Depression, but it makes a point that bears repeating. read more

No. And the same is true for the more common claim that Hitler ended the depression in Germany before World War II. Now it it is true that Hitler ended the outward signs of depression in Germany -- most notably unemployment. But he did not address the real problems--wealth generation. read more

Hitler did not directly stop the Depression in Germany or America in any way. Look at a timeline, the great Depression started in '29. You could say Hitler helped the American Economy by starting the war, therefore more people in America were needed to help the war effort. WWII started in 39' and the US entered in 41'. read more

Reasoning: He started World War 2 which pulled the world out of the depression. No. The Great Depression was on the way to being over before the war began. However, what really affected American employment and industrial production was not Hitler, but the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941. read more