Learning Objective: To
understand the development
and growth of the Nazi Party in
the 1920s
The Nazi’s in the 1920s
• During the 1920s
the Nazi Party
underwent some
quite big changes to
their structure and
organisation
• For most of the
1920s they were
unsuccessful and
remained a small and
extreme party- they
were one among
many
1919-1923
• Set up in 1919 by Anton Drexler
• It began as the German Workers Party
but changed its name to the National
Socialist German Worker’s Party under
Hitler in 1921
• Hitler joined the Nazi’s in 1919 after
attending one of their meetings on
behalf of the Weimar government as a
spy
The role of Hitler 1919-1923
• Hitler’s talent for public
speaking and organisation was
soon recognised by Drexler
• Drexler gave Hitler more and
more responsibility until he
became the leader of the
Party in 1921
• Hitler introduced a number
of initiatives including
• Flag
• Twenty five point programme
(outlined the Nazi beliefs)
• Introduced the use of
effective propaganda
• Introduced the use of force
with the SA (brownshirts)
What did the Nazi’s stand for?
• Anti- communism
• Anti- Jewish and beliefs
in racial superiority
• Strong government and
Germany
• Lebensraum- living space
• Destroy the Treaty of
Versailles
• Re-arm Germany
• Destroy the Weimar
Republic
The Munich Putsch
• On 8 and 9th of November 1923 Hitler and the Nazi’s
attempted to take power
• On 8th November they stormed a beer hall in Munich
where the leader of Bavaria, Von Kahr and other
officials were holding a meeting.
• He demanded that the Nationalist Socialist revolution
had begun and tried to persuade them to follow him
• They promised but Ludendorff unwittingly allowed
them to leave and they informed the authorities
• The next day when Hitler and the Nazi’s marched into
the city of Berlin they were waiting.
• Hitler got injured, the rebellion was put down and the
leaders were arrested and put on trial.
The Aftermath
•
•
•
•
•
Whilst in the short term the
Putsch was a complete failureHitler had been arrested
Some positive changes and
results came about
Trial- gave Hitler chance to
share his views- they were
popular and in all the
newspapers. He became a
national figure
Prison-gave him time to think
and write his book
Realisation- Hitler came to the
conclusion that the only way to
get power was through voteslegally. He made important
changes to the Party to achieve
this.
The Nazi’s in the wilderness
• From 1924-29 Hitler made
some important changes to the
Party
• He set up the SS (black-shirts)
as his personal bodyguardsthey were fanatically loyal to
Hitler
• He also enlarged the SA- most
of these were unemployed men
• He changed the structure
dividing the country into
regions called a Gau. The head
of that region was called a
Gaulieter. This meant there
were wide spread local Nazi
parties all across Germany
• He also set up a Nazi youth
organisation to get young
people into the Party
• They made effective use of
propaganda and Hitler placed
Goebbels as head of
Propaganda. He created
leaflets, posters, films, radio
broadcasts and even set up
‘photo opportunities’
• He also set up the
Fuhrerprincip- the leadership
principle- the idea of loyalty to
one strong leader
How successful were the Nazis?
May 1924
32
December
1924
1928
14
September
1930
107
12
Why weren’t the Nazi’s
successful in the 1920s
• After 1924 Weimar Germany changed- it
became more successful and prosperous. This
meant more people were willing to support it
• Hitler’s views were popular with the down
trodden- there were less of these- people
were less inclined to listen when they were
doing well
• Alot of workers supported other parties who
they thought better represented their
interests such as the Communist and Socialist
Parties
Task
To create a leaflet on the Nazi’s in the 1920s
You should include
• Profile on Hitler- his background and beliefs
• What the Nazi’s believe in
• Significance of the Munich Putsch
• Structure and organisation of the Party
• Successes and failures of the Party in the
1920s
Questions
• What did the Nazi’s stand for in the
1920s? (4) 4 beliefs listed
• Explain how Hitler changed the Nazi
Party after 1924? (6) 3 ways explainedidentify and reason and then explain it.
• Explain why the Nazi’s had little success
before 1930? (6) 3 reasons explained
• How successful was Hitler in developing
the Nazi Party between 1924 and 1929?
(10) 3 arguments for and againstconclusion plus judgement