The Development of the Nazi
Party
1920 to 1923
Aims of this lesson
By the end of this lesson you will
• Understand the main developments in the Nazi
Party between 1919 and 1923
• Understand and describe the main Nazi symbols
• Describe the main features of the SA and
evaluate its role in the early years of the Nazi
Party.
• Evaluate the threat that it posed to the
government in October 1923
The Early Nazi Party
• Party foundered as the German
Workers Party (DAP) in 1919
• Leader Anton Drexler
• Hilter sent to spy on it and was
asked to join – very quickly
became its leader
• Changed its name to the
National Socialst German
Workers party (NSDAP)
• Shortened to Nazi Party
The SA
• The brown shirts – Hitler's
armed thugs who protected
meetings and attacked his
opponents
• Leader Ernst Roehm
• Very violent but got the job
done – many had previously
been members of the
Freikorps
Party symbols
• Used the colours of
the old German flag –
red white and black –
to form the Nazi flag
• Used an old religious
symbol – the
Swastika – to
represent the party
• Striking and easily
recognisable
The situation in 1923
• The Party were only
known in Bavaria but not
in the rest of the country
• No one had heard of AH
• Hitler had linked up with
Ludendorf and was
looking for an opportunity
to take power
• They posed very little
threat to the state in 1923