Early Growth of The Nazi Party: leadership

• In July 1921, Hitler took over leadership of the Party from Drexler
• Rudolf Hess became Hitler’s deputy and was chosen as a wealthy academic who could appeal to wealthy businessmen.
• Hermann Goering was a young and famous World War 1 fighter pilot who could appeal to the many embittered war veterans.
• Julius Streicher, a vicious antisemite had links in the publishing industry and established a new Party newspaper aimed at the working class, Der Sturmer (The Stormer)
• Ernst Rohm was a fierce looking ex-army officer who was popular with ex-soldiers and became leader of Hitler’s new bodyguard organisation, the SA
• Hitler also made other links with key figures with links to the military, such as General Erich Ludendorff, who had been leader of the German army alongside Hindenburg in WW1