Nazi party: the early years

Learning Objectives: To explore the early years of the Nazi Party and the SATo identify how Hitler rose to power To examine the extent of Hitlers role in the rise of the Nazis

January1919Anton Drexler founded the German WorkersParty or DAP.

Hitler first attended a DAP meeting. He shared the partysmain views in rallying against; the communists & socialists for bringing down the Kaiser the Weimar Republic for accepting the Treaty of Versailles the Jews, whom they blamed for undermining the German economy September 1919February 1920Hitler began working as Drexlers right-hand man & together they announced the new 25 Point Programme which included; scrapping the Treaty of Versailles, expanding Germanys borders & depriving the Jews of German citizenship.The birth of the Nazi Party 1919-1921

June 1920Hitler was an energetic, passionate speaker & his public speaking began to attract larger numbers to the meetings. He exploited the fact that so many people were dissatisfied with the Weimar Republic. Membership grew rapidly to 1100.August 1920Hitler suggested that the DAP change its name to the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP or Nazi Party for short) & adopt the swastika as itsEmblem.Mid-1921Hitler pushed DrexlerAside & became party Fuhrer, or leader

In 1921, Hitler created the Sturmabteilung (SA) or storm troopersThey were the Nazis private armyThey were recruited from demobbed soldiers, the unemployed & studentsThese Brownshirts provided security at meetings & bodyguards for Nazi leaders

They broke up meetings of opposition groupsHitler put Rohm in charge of the SAMany of the SA were thugs & difficult to control so in 1923 Hitler selected trusted members of the SA & formed his own personal bodyguard the Stosstrupp or Shock Troop

EvidenceSource 1 The trouble had not begun when my storm troopers attacked. Like wolves, they flung themselves in packs of eight or ten upon the enemy. After only five minutes, I hardly saw one of them who was not covered in blood. The hall looked as if a shell had struck it. Many of my supporters were being bandaged, others had to be driven away, but we had remained the masters of the situation.

Adolf Hitler, 1925

What do you learn about the SA (Stormtroopers) from this source?

Hitlers RiseThere were four main ways in which Hitler was able to rise to power:

The creation of the SAThe designing of the Nazi EmblemHitlers own charismaHitler gathering close supporters

In your group, discuss how your factor helped Hitler rise to power.

The SAHitler initially faced a great deal of opposition both from opposing parties and from fellow nazis. To deal with this opposition, Hitler set up the SA, which was essentially his own private army. The SA was made up of violent ex-soldiers with an axe to grind.Their reputation grew very quickly, with repeated shows of violence at political events.As a result, Hitler was able to remove an opposition he faced swiftly, and opposition quickly faded away anyway due to the culture of fear the SA created.

Nazi EmblemAs a self-proclaimed artist, Hitler gave a lot of thought to the Nazi symbology. He recognised the need for the Nazis to have a memorable emblem, and designed the now infamous flag.The flag and swastika emblem essentially turned the Nazis from a political party into a household brand.As a result, Hitler propelled the party in the popularity stakes, and membership rose quickly.

CharismaHitler was incredibly charismatic.He was also an excellent orator (public speaker) and drew huge crowds to his Nazi speeches and rallies.This increased the Nazi audience, and allowed them to convey their ideas to the masses.No other party at the time had such a hypnotic speaker.As a result, support for the party greatly increased.

Close SupportersAs soon as Hitler took the leadership in 1921, he surrounded himself with loyal supporters.He rewarded these men with positions of power in the party, and many went on to become top Nazis in later years.By surrounding himself with these supporters, he ensured his own position was safe, whilst being able to delegate most of his dirty work to them.This created competition within the Nazi party itself, with several prominent supporters vying for power, which essentially caused the party to escalate its policies and become more and more extreme.

Hitlers closest supportersErnst Rohm - a scar faced, Bull-necked soldierHermann Goring a wealthy hero of the German Air Force

Rudolf Hess a wealthy academicwho became Hitlers deputyJulius Streicher founder of the NaziPaper Der Sturmer

The Nazi Party 1919-2319191921HitlersroleDraw the graph above. (Use a whole page!)Cut out the events that led to the rise of the Nazis cards, and stick them on your graph according to how much involvement Hitler had.

Exam Practise

How far was Hitler responsible for the rise of the Nazi Party between 1919-21?

(6 marks)

Hitler renamed the DAP the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP or Nazi Party for short).When Hitler first attended a party meeting there were only 23 people present. Hitler pushed DrexlerAside & became party Fuhrer, or leader.

At first the DAP was only a small & little known group.The party adopted the swastika as its emblem & began to use the raised arm salute.Hitlers passionate & energetic public speaking attracted larger numbers.In 1921 Hitler created the Sturmabteilung (SA) or Storm Troopers. Drexler & Hitler revealed the Partys 25-Point Programme. Hitlers group attracted support from the army, the police & small businesses. Hitler surrounded himself with loyal party leaders.Anton Drexler founded German Workers Party(DAP).Hitler began working as Drexlers right-hand man.