early development

• Hitler fought in the first world war - after he was put to work spying on local political groups in the Munich area - he started to attend meetings of the German Workers Party (DAP)
• Germans Workers Party - DAP

  • founded February 1919, by Anton Drexler
  • tiny - 23 members when Hitler first joined
  • didn't have a lot of money
  • Hitler liked the idea - joined in September 1919
  • within 2 years, Hitler had taken control of the Dap and shaped it into the Nazi party in 5 ways
• 1. January 1920 - party propaganda and wrote a 25 point programme; examples ;

  • Against Weimer Politicians - Nationalist - because of surrender and ToV
  • Against democracy (one strong central power) - Nationalist - leads to weak gov - don't believe people can vote the right thing
  • Against Jews - Nationalist - weakens Germany
  • Demand for more land and colonies - Nationalist - ToV had taken them away
  • Only those of German blood could be a member - Nationalist - others weaken Germany
  • Demand for the creation of the people's army - Nationalist - ToV had taken it
  • states prime duty is people's work and livelihood - Nationalist and socialist - people should work to make Germany great
• nationalist


  make Germany great again
• socialist


  land, industries and wealth of a country belongs to the countries workers
• 2. Hitlers personal appeal

  • great orator - very persuasive
  • he rehearsed his speeches - started slowly and then gathered attention
  • practised gestures
  • he had publicity photos and painting showing he was a good speaker

  he spoke at 31/46 meeting - appeal = membership increased from 1000 to 3000 - when people join they have to pay
• 3. Party Organisation

  • January 1920 - set up the DAP office in Munich - party meetings were more organised and advertised (party memberships and funds began to increase)
  • name change to National Socialist German Workers Party - NSDAP (Nazi) - name showed ideas and helped get support as it appealed to more people
  • introduced the swastika logo and the salute - party was easy to extinguish
  • December 1920 - membership had increased by so much they bought a newspaper - end of 1921 circulation was 17000, the DAP message was heard of Munich, Bavaria and Germany
• 4. Hitler became party leader in July 1921

  he defeated Drexler in a leadership contest - he surrounded himself with people that were selected for their skills

  • Rudolf Hesse - wealthy, academic - Hitlers deputy
  • Hermann Goering - young, wealthy, WW1 fighter pilot
  • Julius Streicher - publisher who founded the newspaper
  • Ernst Rohm - ex-army officer who was popular with ex-soldiers

  he also made powerful friends - General Ludendorff, leader of the German army in WW1
• 5. the role of the SA - stormtroopers

  • formed August 1921
  • paramilitary force = private group ran like an army
  • recruited people = unemployed - de-mobilised ex-soldiers
  • brown uniforms
  • they paraded the streets as a show of force, used as crowd control in meetings, disrupted other party meetings (communists)
  • increased appeal - impressed people - stopped opposition towards Hitler at meetings, made opposition parties weaker
• Hitler ensured he had total control

  • the SA - made Hitler more powerful - even though Rohm was in charge of them
  • the Strosstrupp - Hitlers personal bodyguard - totally loyal to him
  • military leadership style
  • party conference in January 1922 - persuaded members to give up the right to vote new leaders