Climate of Opinion following World War I
Immediately after the German generals surrendered to the Allied Powers
in November 1918, there was widespread confusion and discontent. Soldiers
and workers broke out in revolution. The Kaiser fled the country, and
the Weimar Republic was created. The new republic tried to reestablish
order, calling upon the Army to quell the revolution of soldiers and
workers. The Freikorps (Free Corps, paramilitary groups from
the right), which consisted of veterans of World
War I, assisted the Army in this process. Many Germans were disappointed
with the Weimar Republic for signing the Treaty of Versailles.
During this period of discontent, Germans showed a growing interest
in the volkish movement—a movement calling for the revival of the
German people so the nation would regain its honor, strength and position
in the world community. Volkish groups often blamed Jews for the loss
of World War I, claiming that Jews collaborated with Socialists and Communists
to “stab Germany in the back.” The antisemitic ideas of the
right wing patriotic volkish groups countered the democratic ideals put
forth by leftwing liberal parties. Moreover, the volkish groups showed
contempt for the Weimar Republic, condemning its willingness to sign
the Treaty of Versailles. From the perspective of extreme rightwing groups,
the Weimar Republic was equated with the “Jew” Republic.
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The German Workers’ Party: Precursor to the
National Socialist German Workers’ Party
One of the many volkish groups that existed in 1919 was the German
Workers’ Party, headed by the railway mechanic Anton Drexel and
the rightwing journalist Karl Harrer. The party was based in Bavaria,
where there were pitted battles between rightwing nationalist groups
and the radical leftwing groups sympathetic to Communist ideas.
The German Workers’ Party was founded January 9, 1919—it
was a formal organization of the earlier Workers’ Study Circle
that had emerged in the immediate aftermath of German defeat in 1918.
Adolf Hitler, a thirty-year old World War I veteran was working as an
agent for the army in 1919 and was assigned to see what was going on
in various political groups of Munich. One of his tasks was to check
out the German Workers’ Party. By September 1919, Hitler became
a member of the party.
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The German Workers’ Party Changed Name to
The National Socialist German Workers’ Party
(NSDAP: Nazi Party)
in 1920
In February 1920, the German Workers’ Party (DAP) changed its
name to the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP or
Nazi), emphasizing the need to combine both socialist and nationalist
ideals for widespread popular appeal.
Adolf Hitler who had become a dominant figure in the Nazi Party by
1920 was largely responsible for expanding party membership in the Munich
area; by 1921, Nazi branches were forming outside the Munich area.
Helping to disseminate the party ideals was the newspaper entitled
Volkisch Beobachter. In 1921-2, this paper came out twice a week, and
after February 1923, it appeared daily.
By August 1921, Adolf Hitler emerged as the key figure in the party:
he rejected the traditional way of running the party by committees and
insisted that the party be organized and run by a dominant leader.
Also during this period, the party started the Gymnastic and Sports
Section to prevent disruption in Nazi Party meetings and create disruption
in the meetings of other parties. In October, 1921, this section was
renamed the SA (Sturmabteilung, Storm Troopers). It drew its
primary membership from ex-soldiers and ex-Freikorps (Free Corps,
paramilitary groups from the right).
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