The Nazi Party from Formation to Beer Hall Putsch

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The Nazi Party from Formation to Beer Hall Putsch

• OVERVIEW

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Section 1 Origins

• 1919 German Workers Party (Anton Drexler)
• 1919 Hitler becomes member 555
• Up until 1929 fringe party
• Key ideas
• November Criminals
• Anti-Versailles
• Oppose communism
• Anti-democracy

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Section 2 Development

• 1920 National Socialist German Workers Party
  adopted 25 Point Programme (Drexler / Hitler)
• Key ideas-
• Nationalism / racism YES!
• Workers party most popular in rural areas
• Socialist ??
• Volkesgemeinschaft
• anti-capitalism
• Socialist membership e.g. Rohm and Stasser

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Section 3 The Stasser Brothers

• Gregor Strasser (joined 1920)
• Took part in Munich Putsch
• Gifted orator and reorganises the Party
• after 1925 under Hitlers leadership
• Built up support in Northern Germany
• Opposed Hitlers anti-semitism
• 1930 2nd most powerful Nazi after Hitler
• Otto Strasser (joined 1925)
• Former member of SPD
• Advocated racism and nationalism
• Appealed to lower m/c and workers
• Left party in 1930 opposed abandoning workers

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Section 4 Hitler

• Background ??
• Skills / abilities ??
• 1921 resigns over Drexlers policy to cooperate
  with other parties
• Hofbrauhaus meeting Hitler invited back into
  NSDAP and given total control ousts Drexler
• 1921 established Volischer Beobachter (Peoples
  Observer) and the Sturmabteilung (SA)
• Received protection from police, judiciary and
  army leadership
• Received support of influential Munich families
  Lemanns and Brucksteins

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Section 5 The SA

• Sturmabteilung 1920
• By 1933 membership 1/2m
• Led by Ernst Rohm
• Thuggish behaviour
• Loyalty to Hitler
• Hatred of Communism
• Disaffected youth
• Hitler was invited into government in 1933 in
  order to control them!

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Section 6 Munich, why and how?

• Kapp Putsch and Walter Rathenau
• Lossow and Kahr (right-wing leaders) encourage an
  uprising, prompted by the French invasion of the
  Ruhr
• Hitler forced them to consider march on Berlin
• SA seize Bavarian government members
• Ludendorff (WWI general) lends support
• 2,000 Nazis march on Munich, Ebert declares
  emergency
• 14 Nazis killed, Hitler dislocates shoulder and
  flees
• Leading Nazis including Hitler and Stasser along
  with Ludendorff are arrested
• PUTSCH FAILS

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Section 7 Munich, consequences

• Hitler put on trial defends his case and
  achieves national fame
• Nazis become 3rd largest party in Bavaria
• Judge is a known right-wing sympathiser
• Hitler given 5 years and serves only 9 months
• Ludendorff let off as he was after Kapp Putsch
• Hitler kept in good conditions at Landsberg
• Whilst there he dictates Mein Kampf

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Section 8 The Nazis After Munich

• Due to Hitlers imprisonment, the NSDAP nearly
  disintegrates in 1924
• When released Hitler commits party to legal
  means and the Fuhrerprincip to win mass
  support
• 1925 Party is reorganised by Gregor Srasser (see
  p. 114)
• 1928 Goebbles appointed as
• Propaganda Chief
• 1929 onwards party takes advantage
• of the Depression and sees an electoral
• breakthrough