But in the end it's a monetary phenomenon and it is the government's choice to have inflation instead of other (painful) measures to address a distribution problem.

I would say the truly necessary component to the hyperinflation phenomenon is the existence of privileged borrowers. When inflation is high, market interest rate is also high. To benefit from inflation one must be able to borrow at below inflation rate. With credit money borrowing is what creates new money. Often it's the government that chooses this over taxation for its own funding. Other times there may be other entrenched private interests who enjoy such privileges.