Hitler and the early growth of the party (Edexcel GCSE History): Revision Notes
Hitler and the early growth of the party
Hitler's background and entry into politics
Adolf Hitler was born in Austria in 1889 and relocated to Munich in 1913, where he developed a deep fascination with German culture and nationalism. His participation in the First World War profoundly shaped his worldview, particularly reinforcing his belief that Germany possessed a unique and special destiny. The shock of Germany's defeat and the harsh terms imposed by the Treaty of Versailles would become central themes in his later political messaging.
The Treaty of Versailles had stripped Germany of territory, limited its military forces, and imposed heavy reparations. This created widespread resentment that Hitler would later exploit in his political rhetoric.
In September 1919, Hitler joined the German Workers' Party (DAP), a small political group that had been established by Anton Drexler in Munich earlier that year. The party initially had very limited membership and influence, but Hitler quickly distinguished himself within the organisation through his powerful speaking abilities and passionate nationalism.
Hitler's rapid rise within the party
Hitler's ascent within the DAP was remarkably swift. By 1920, he had become the party's second-in-command, demonstrating his political ambition and organisational skills. During this same year, the party underwent a significant transformation when it changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), commonly known as the Nazi Party. This name change reflected Hitler's influence and his vision for expanding the party's appeal beyond its original working-class base.
Hitler's rise from unknown member to party leader in just two years (1919-1921) was extraordinarily rapid for any political movement. This demonstrates both his exceptional political skills and the chaotic conditions in post-war Germany that allowed such quick advancement.
In July 1921, Hitler achieved a crucial milestone by taking complete control of the Nazi Party from Drexler. This leadership position allowed him to shape the party's direction and implement his radical political vision. Around this time, he also attracted several key supporters who would become instrumental in the party's future development, including Rudolf Hess, Hermann Goering, Julius Streicher, and Ernst Röhm.
The Twenty-Five Point Programme
Hitler and Drexler collaborated in 1920 to create the Nazi Party's foundational policy document, known as the Twenty-Five Point Programme. This comprehensive manifesto outlined the party's radical agenda across multiple areas of German society and politics.
Key Policies from the Twenty-Five Point Programme:
Economic and Social Policies:
- Increased pensions for elderly citizens
- Nationalisation of major industries
- Full employment guarantees
- Equal rights and duties for all citizens
Military and Territorial Demands:
- Complete rejection of the Treaty of Versailles
- Military expansion despite treaty restrictions
- Lebensraum (living space) for German expansion
Racist and Exclusionary Policies:
- German citizenship limited to those with "German blood"
- Exclusion of Jewish people from citizenship rights
The programme included several key economic and social policies. It called for increased pensions to support elderly citizens and the nationalisation of major industries to bring them under state control. The document demanded the complete rejection of the Treaty of Versailles, which many Germans viewed as unfairly punitive. It also promised full employment for all German citizens and advocated for building up Germany's military forces, despite the treaty's restrictions.
The programme contained explicitly racist elements, particularly targeting Jewish people. It declared that German citizens must have "German blood", effectively excluding Jewish people from citizenship rights. Additionally, it promoted the concept of Lebensraum, which called for expanding German territory to provide living space for the population and address what the Nazis claimed was overpopulation.
Other points addressed social reforms, including equal rights and duties for all citizens, educational opportunities for hardworking Germans, and state protection for mothers and infants while prohibiting child labour. The programme also proposed laws supporting compulsory sports activities to promote physical fitness.
The Twenty-Five Point Programme was deliberately designed to appeal to different groups simultaneously - workers through social policies, nationalists through anti-Versailles rhetoric, and those seeking scapegoats through anti-Semitic measures.
This manifesto directly opposed several key groups: Weimar politicians who had accepted the Treaty of Versailles, democratic institutions which the Nazis viewed as weak, and Jewish people whom they falsely blamed for undermining the German economy.
The Sturmabteilung (SA)
In August 1921, Hitler established the Sturmabteilung, commonly known as the SA, stormtroopers, or "Brownshirts" due to their distinctive brown uniforms. This paramilitary organisation was placed under the command of Ernst Röhm, a former military officer who became one of Hitler's key early supporters.
The SA consisted primarily of unemployed former soldiers who were struggling to find work in post-war Germany. These men were attracted to the organisation partly because it provided them with purpose and identity during a period of economic hardship and social upheaval.
The SA's brown uniforms were actually chosen for practical reasons - brown shirts were cheap surplus clothing available in large quantities from former German colonial troops in Africa.
The primary functions of the SA were to intimidate political opponents and maintain control during Nazi meetings and rallies. They frequently used violence to disrupt opposition gatherings and to intimidate anyone who challenged Hitler's authority or the Nazi Party's activities. This systematic use of force became a hallmark of the Nazi movement and helped create an atmosphere of fear that benefited the party's political ambitions.
Timeline of key events (1919-1921)
The period from 1919 to 1921 marked the crucial early phase of Hitler's political career:
- 1919: Hitler joined the German Workers' Party (DAP) in September, beginning his transformation from war veteran to political activist
- 1920: Hitler achieved second-in-command status within the party and oversaw its renaming to the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP)
- 1921: Hitler seized complete control of the Nazi Party in July, removing Drexler from leadership and established the SA paramilitary organisation under Ernst Röhm's command
This three-year period established the foundations for Hitler's later rise to power, transforming him from an unknown political newcomer into the leader of a growing radical movement with both a comprehensive political programme and an organised force capable of political violence.
Key Points to Remember:
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Hitler joined the small DAP in 1919 and became its leader by 1921, demonstrating his rapid political rise and ambition
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The Twenty-Five Point Programme combined nationalist, anti-Semitic, and social policies that appealed to various groups while targeting Jews, democrats, and the Treaty of Versailles
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The SA (Brownshirts) formed in 1921 provided the Nazi Party with organised muscle to intimidate opponents and control crowds through violence
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Key early supporters like Hess, Goering, Streicher, and Röhm helped establish the organisational structure that would later enable the party's expansion
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The transformation from DAP to NSDAP reflected Hitler's vision of building a mass movement beyond the original working-class base