The Early Years of the Nazi Party

Question 0

When did Hitler join the DAP (German Workers’ Party)?

Answer 0

1919

Question 1

Key features of Hitler’s early life

Answer 1

• Was born in Austria but obsessed with everything German
• Wanted to be an artist but failed to get a place at art school
• Couldn’t get a job and blamed Jews for controlling all opportunities
• Blamed Jews and socialists for ‘stabbing Germany in the back’
• Fought bravely in WWI and couldn’t believe German defeat
• Enjoyed his time fighting in the war

Question 2

When did Hitler become second in command of the DAP?

Answer 2

1920

Question 3

When did the DAP change its name and what did they change it to?

Answer 3

August 1920
National Socialist German Workers’ Party
NSDAP or Nazi for short

Question 4

What were the beliefs of the early Nazi Party?

Answer 4

Blamed communists and socialists for bringing down the Kaiser
Blamed the Jews for undermining German economy
Wanted to scrap Treaty of Versailles
Wanted to expand German borders
Wanted to deprive Jews of German citizenship

Question 5

How did membership grow in June 1920?

Answer 5

Rose to 1100

Question 6

When did Hitler take over control from Drexler?

Answer 6

1921

Question 7

How did membership increase?

Answer 7

Hitler’s public speaking attracted numbers to meetings.

Question 8

By the end of 1920, what had membership increased to?

Answer 8

3000

Question 9

Who was Rudolf Hess?

Answer 9

A wealthy academic who became Hitler’s deputy.

Question 10

Who was Hermann Goering?

Answer 10

A wealthy hero of the German Air-Force.

Question 11

Who was Ernst Röhm?

Answer 11

A soldier who was put in charge of the SA.

Question 12

Who were Nazi supporters?

Answer 12

The army, the police and small businesses.

Question 13

Who were the SA?

Answer 13

The Sturmabteilung (storm troopers)
Created in 1921 by Hitler
Nazi’s private army
Recruited from demobilised soldiers, the unemployed and students
Provided security at meetings and were bodyguards for Nazi leaders
Hitler selected trusted members of the SA to become his own bodyguard, the Stosstrupp (shock troop)

Question 14

When was the Munich Putsch?

Answer 14

8th November 1923 - around the same time as Hyperinflation

Question 15

Why did support for the Nazis increase in the years 1924-29?

Answer 15

Use of new technology e.g. Aeroplanes, radio, film. This kept Hitler in the public eye and he had a wider audience.
Speeches were reported in 120 Nazi newspapers. More people read them so wider audience again.
Use of violence. SA expanded to 400,000 members by 1930. They disrupted other parties and frightened them.
The SS were the bodyguard of Hitler. They also helped increase violence.

Question 16

How were the Nazis unsuccessful from 1924-29?

Answer 16

Only 12 Reichstag seats (2.5%)

Hindenburg was popular and made more people support the Weimar Government.

Question 17

What were the reasons for the Munich Putsch?

Answer 17

Hitler and the Nazi party didn’t like the Weimar government and so the government were weak.
Hyperinflation and the invasion of the Ruhr had upset German people so they wanted to stop them both.
They thought the government in Bavaria would support them because they were right wing and didn’t like Weimar.

Question 18

What happened on the night of the Munich Putsch?

Answer 18

At a meeting of 3000 officials of the Bavarian government at Burgerbrau Keller, Hitler burst in with 600 SA members announcing that he was taking over the Bavarian government.

Question 19

What happened the next morning of the Munich Putsch and how did the plan fall apart?

Answer 19

Von Kahr, von Seisser and von Lossow, 3 important leaders who had agreed to support Hitler had changed their minds and now opposed Hitler.

Question 20

What did Hitler do in response to the plan falling apart?

Answer 20

Sent 3000 supporters with the help of the SA to take over key buildings.
Hitler, his key supporters and his shock troop marched to the town centre to declare Hitler president.
They were stopped by state police. 14 of Hitler’s supporters and 4 police died.
Hitler fled.

Question 21

Positive effects of the Munich Putsch

Answer 21

Hitler got national publicity from his trial.
He gained sympathy.
Used his time in jail to write “Mein Kampf” and realised that he needed to gain support through elections.
Hitler was release after 9 months and the NSDAP ban was lifted.
The Nazis won their first seats in the Reichstag due to increased publicity from trial.

Question 22

Negative effects of the Munich Putsch

Answer 22

Hitler and 3 supporters were found guilty of treason and were sentenced to 5 years imprisonment.
NSDAP was banned.
Putsch was a defeat for Hitler so it was humiliating.