The Development of the Nazi Party Before 1930 Flashcards
What was the DAP?
The original Nazi Party
Who was the DAP set up by?
Anton Drexler
When was the DAP set up?
1919
What was another name for the DAP?
German Workers’ Party
True/False: The DAP was a huge party
False, it was a very small party
How did the DAP try and make itself look more popular?
By numbering its members from 500 instead of 1, for example Hitler was member number 55 but had the number 555
The DAP was an extreme right/left-wing party
right
When was the 25-Point Programme?
1920
Name 3 parts of the 25-Point Programme
Any 3 from Nationalism, Lebensraum, Anti-Semitism, Racial purity and Strong leadership
What was the aim with the Nationalism part of the 25-Point Programme?
A strong Germany and the removal of the Treaty of Versailles
What was the aim with the Lebensraum part of the 25-Point Programme?
Taking over Eastern Europe for ‘living-space’ for its growing population
What is Anti-Semitism?
The hatred of Jews
What was the aim with the Anti-Semitism part of the 25-Point Programme?
Preventing Jews from being German citizens
What was the aim with the Racial Purity part of the 25-Point Programme?
Only Aryans could be German citizens (no Jews/gypsies)
What were Aryans?
Pure blooded Master Race Germans
What did the DAP mean when saying they wanted a strong leadership in the 25-Point Programme?
They wanted the opposite of what they saw as a weak parliamentary democracy at the time
How did Hitler manoeuvre himself into position to take over the leadership of the DAP?
He helped write the 25-Point Programme, improved the image of the party and had a lot of personal appeal
How did Hitler have personal appeal?
He was a very effective public speaker and created the image of being a more effective leader than Drexler
How did Hitler improve the image of the DAP?
He introduced the swastika and the Nazi salute. He also renamed the party
What did Hitler rename the DAP to in 1920?
The NSDAP
What did the NSDAP stand for?
The National Socialist German Workers’ Party
What were the effects of Hitler’s efforts to improve the image of the party?
Resulted in better organisation and lead to an increase in members, although the party was still very small
When did Hitler become leader of the NSDAP?
A few months after DAP had changed its name, in 1921
Give the other names for the SA
Sturmabteilung, ‘Stormtroopers’ and ‘Brownshirts’
Who was the SA set up by?
Hitler
What did the SA wear?
A brown military uniform with a cap and swastika on the arm
Who were the SA?
A group that were like the Nazi’s own private army of thugs
What did the SA do?
Disrupted political meetings and made the Nazis look much more powerful than they really were
What significant Putsch attempt were the SA involved in?
The Munich Putsch
When did the SA become very important?
After the Great Depression hit Germany in 1930
What NSDAP rules did Hitler change after he became leader?
Members lost the right to choose the leader, he stopped the discussion of party policy and was moving to stop any opposition to him from within the aprty
Hitler attracted more/less members to the party after Hitler became leader
More
The party gained more/less money after Hitler became leader
More
What did Hitler use the money he got after he became leader of the NSDAP to buy?
Newspapers to put forward Nazi views
Give an example of a newspaper Hitler bought to publish Nazi propaganda
Either Dur Sturmer or Volkischer Beobachter
Hitler buying newspapers was an effective way for the Nazis to…
Publish their propaganda, target scapegoats for Germany’s problems and portray Hitler as a strong leader
When did the newspapers become even more important?
After the Great Depression hit Germany in 1930
Why did the Munich Putsch happen?
Hitler hated the Weimar Constitution, democracy and what he saw as Germany’s betrayal by the politicians for signing the armistice and Treaty. He wanted to destroy them
Hitler tried to exploit the German people’s anger at the ____ occupation and h_____________
Ruhr occupation and hyperinflation
When was hyperinflation at its worst?
November 1923
When was the Munich Putsch?
November 1923
Why did Hitler try and exploit the German people’s anger at the Ruhr occupation and hyperinflation?
He believed people would support him
True/False: Hitler believed in peaceful revolutions
False, he believed in violent revolutions - not waiting to win power through elections
Why was Hitler worried in November 1923?
Stresemann was Germany’s new Chancellor and was cracking down on extremist political groups
Give an example of an extremist political group that Stresemann cracked down on when he became Chancellor
Freikorps or Communists - he had crushed a left-wing Communist revolt
Why did the fact that Stresemann was cracking down on extremist political groups worry Hitler?
He thought he needed to seize power before the NSDAP were targeted by Stresemann
What was the plan for the Munich Putsch?
Hitler wanted the Nazis to take power in Munich, Bavaria and then march to Berlin to take over the national government
How did the Munich Putsch start?
Armed Nazi Stormtroopers stormed into a politcal meeting
Where was the political meeting that the Nazi Stormtroopers stormed in to?
The Munich beer-hall
Why did the Nazi Stormtroopers storm inside the Munich beer-hall?
To intimidate those inside
What did Hitler do inside of the Munich beer-hall?
Forced local police and government leaders to support him and declared, at gunpoint, that he was taking over the local Bavarian government
What would Hitler do after he took over the local Bavarian government?
Take control of the whole country
What did the Nazis do after the Nazi Stormtroopers stormed in to the Munich beer-hall?
Marched to the city centre to declare Hitler as the new German leader
Who did the Nazis encounter when they marched to the city centre to declare Hitler as the new German leader?
The police
What happened when the Nazis encountered the police when they were marching to the city centre?
The putsch was stopped and the police shot dead 16 Nazis. Hitler and the others fled but were soon arrested
True/False: The army supported Hitler when the Nazis marched to the city centre to declare Hitler as the new German leader
False, they refused to support him although General Ludendorff did
Hitler rightly/wrongly thought local people would come out and support the Munich Putsch
wrongly
What mistake did the Nazis make with the Bavarian government and police leaders in the Munich Putsch?
They released the Bavarian government and the police leaders who were able to organise the police to stop the Nazis
The Nazis did/did not have enough men and weapons to fight the police
did not
In the short-term, did the Munich Putsch appear to be a failure or a success?
Failure
What was banned as a result of the Munich Putsch?
The NSDAP
When was the NSDAP ban lifted?
1925
Who were jailed as a result of the Munich Putsch?
Hitler and other leading Nazis
How many months did Hitler serve in jail?
9
How was the Munich Putsch good for Hitler’s publicity?
He gained publicity and became known throughout the country for the first time
What was Mein Kampf?
Hitler’s book
Mein Kampf became the most important ____ ____
Nazi book
What did Mein Kampf set out?
Hitler’s beliefs and aims for Germany’s future
What did Hitler’s belief of Nationalism as a part of Mein Kampf state?
He wanted a strong Germany with Lebensraum and the removal of the Treaty of Versailles
What did Hitler’s belief of Racial Purity as a part of Mein Kampf state?
Hitler believed in Aryan Master Race. These were racially superior to Eastern Europeans (Slavs), blacks and Jews who he called sub-humans (untermenschen)
What did Hitler’s belief of Totalitarianism as a part of Mein Kampf state?
He wanted to end elections and allow one man to have all the power. Everyone should be loyal to this one leader called the ‘Fuhrer’
What did Hitler’s belief of National Socialism as part of Mein Kampf state?
Socialism traditionally meant the workers controlling the land and business but Hitler hated this idea. He had his own brand of ‘socialism’ when everyone was meant to work for the strength of Germany - he didn’t want to put off wealthy businessmen from donating to the party
Why was the Munich Putsch a turning point?
Hitler realised he had to win power through elections and this lead to a change in the way the party was organised after 1925
When was the Bamberg Conference?
1926
What was the Bamberg Conference?
A meeting to solve disagreements between the Northern Nazi Party and the Southern Nazi Party
How did Hitler use the Bamberg Conference to his advantage?
He used it to undermine the Nazis from Northern Germany and portrayed them more like Communists than Nazis
How did Hitler portray the Northern Nazi Party as more like Communists than Nazis?
Said their idea to take land from wealthy landowners was a Communist idea - Hitler was keen to get donations from rich businessmen. He said they were not true Nazis
What did Hitler say the Nazis should focus on at the Bamberg Conference?
Nationalism and to make Germany great again
Who supported Hitler at the Bamberg Conference?
Southern Nazis and a number of those from the north changed their minds and supported Hitler to
How did the Bamberg Conference strengthen Hitler’s position?
It weakened his main rival and committed everyone to the ‘leadership principle’ of obedience to Hitler’s authority (Fuhrerprinzip)
Who was Hitler’s main rival?
Gregor Strasser
Who notably originally supported Strasser but switched sides to support Hitler?
Joseph Goebbels
Name one of the rich businessmen that Hitler befriended
Any from Bosch, Krupp or Thyssen
How did Hitler befriend a number of Germany’s richest businessmen?
By promising strong leadership and the crushing of communists
What did Hitler befriending a number of Germany’s richest businessmen lead to?
Him gaining millions of marks in donations
What did Hitler put the money from donations from rich businessmen towards?
Funding Nazi propaganda and buying uniforms for the SA and SS
When was the Nazi propaganda and uniforms for the SA and SS very important?
After 1930
What was the SS short for?
Schutzstaffel
Who was the SS set up by?
Hitler
What were the SS originally?
Hitler’s personal protection squad
What colour was the SS’ uniform?
Black
Who were Gauleiters appointed by?
Hitler
Who were Gauleiters?
Nazis who were put in charge of different areas of Germany
Where was Joseph Goebbels Gauleiter of?
Berlin
What did Gauleiters do?
It was their job to follow Hitler’s orders and had to make sure messages given by the Nazis in their propaganda was relevant to their particular area
How did Gauleiters make sure messages given by the Nazis in their propaganda was relevant to their particular area?
In a rural area the propaganda would be targeted at farmers and would portray the Nazis as the only party capable of helping farmers, etc
How important were Gauleiters in spreading Nazi propaganda?
Very - without these, the propaganda would have been less effective
Who did Hitler appoint in charge of propaganda?
Joseph Goebbels
Name 3 of the ways Nazis shared their propaganda
Any 3 from radio, films, posters, newspapers or aeroplanes
How did Hitler use aeroplanes to promote the Nazis?
He would fly to different places on the same day to give speeches
What were the 2 main aims of Nazi propaganda?
To promote the Nazis as a strong party and Hitler as a strong leader and to create scapegoats for Germany’s problems
Give 2 examples of scapegoats that Nazi propaganda made for Germany’s problems
Any 2 from the new Weimar democracy, moderate political parties, ‘November Criminals’ and Jews
None of the Nazi propaganda could have happened if it wasn’t for the d________ from the r___ b__________
donations from the rich businessmen
When was Nazi propaganda most effective?
After the Depression started
Despite the reorganisation of the party, the NSDAP only received .% of the vote
2.6
Why did the NSDAP only receive 2.6% of the vote in 1928?
The successful impact of Stresemann’s foreign and economic policies had improved Germany’s status and economy, people were happy during the ‘Golden Years’ and the NSDAP’s propaganda and messages had not attracted support from large groups of people
What did the NSDAP need to spread their propaganda and messages?
A crisis to exploit, which there wasn’t from 1924-29
