Another great thread, brought to us by the same folks behind the abdication thread in The Final Chapter section... what is this, a conspiracy to have a civilized, thought provoking discussion in which issues are taken with positions and not with individuals?

I recently read a philosphical novel... I can't remember the title or the author; I'll have to scan my shelves... It was about a father grieving a daughter killed by fascist terrorists in Italy. Anyway, it viewed fascism as a reaction to both Marx and Freud. Where Marx said we were at the mercy of historical forces, Freud said we were at the mercy of our infantile longings. (I'm simplifying, clearly. And grossly.) Neither presented an image of the individual that was terribly attractive. Fascism, on the other hand, which is about traditional values and ancestry and belonging to something concrete that is nonetheless larger than oneself, offered a "way out," if you will. Assuming you were going to be radicalized, and assuming that nationalism might be a trigger point for you, fascism might be a lot more attractive to the common person, just psychologically speaking, than communism, not to mention democracy. If you want to feel a sense of agency while at the same time feeling immersed, and a sense of superiority, fascism is just the thing. A lot more localized than communism, with its emphasis (then) on transcending nationalism to connect with a huge international proletariat (not exactly a draw for the upper classes anyway), and a lot more familiar than democracy, which requires an uncomfortable focus on the individual.
You can be a member of any class and be a fascist; a bonus.
I don't think your average German was sitting around going, hmmm, Marx, Freud, or Hitler, but the communist revolution made one option more clear, and made the fascist story easier to tell. It's always easiest to define yourself against something. I think the Russian Revolution helped galvanize and clarify Nazism.
I guess the question is, was the humiliation of the German empire enough of a crucible in an of itself to account for Hitler's rise, or did it need communism as well. Were both necessary, or was one of these factors sufficient?