The National Socialist German Workers’ Party

The National Socialist German Workers’ Party

Research Paper

The National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP), or “Nazi” party, was originated during the World War I/II era and was established as a political party, known at the time as the “German Workers’ Party”, which would be both working-class and nationalist. The party was created as a means to draw Germany’s working-class away from communism and towards nationalism. Its founding was heavily influenced from the belief that most of Germany’s political parties were becoming more communistic and increasingly under the influence of anti-national and anti-militarist propaganda. The Nazis sought to unite the people of Germany on the basis of race, in hopes of creating an “Aryan master race”. To maintain the supposed purity and strength of the Aryan race, the Nazis sought to exterminate Jews, Romani, and the physically and mentally handicapped. These persecutions concluded in the systematic murder of over six million Jews and over five million from other included groups.

        The NSDAP platform was founded on a 25-Point Program which summarizes the national socialist philosophy through the use of extreme nationalism, racism, and some socialist concepts. This program specifies the primary political laws of the State. The 25-Point Program addressed Germany’s demands for territory unification and expansion, the racial conditions of citizenship, the rights and obligations of citizens, the governing style and regulations of industry, and the benefits or consequences to those whom abide by or deviate from expected social norms.

        Prior to the leadership of Adolf Hitler, the German Worker’s Party (GWP) was founded and lead by Anton Drexler, Gottfried Feder, and Dietrich Eckart. Anton Drexler was a German far-right political leader of the 1920s and served as mentor to Adolf Hitler during his early days in politics. Gottfried Feder was a German economist and one of the early key members of the Nazi Party. He was their economic theoretician. Initially, it was his lecture in 1919 that drew Hitler into the party. Dietrich Eckart was a German journalist, playwright, poet, and politician who was a key influence on Adolf Hitler in the early years of the Nazi Party. Adolf Hitler swiftly came to power over the political party, soon after his appointment to the party’s chief of propaganda. The leader of the Nazi Party was deemed as the party chairman, however, Hitler founded a separate body for the chairman, Chancellery of the Führer, with its own sub-units.

        The Nazi Party was provided funding mainly from private contributors. However, all of the NSDAP’s funding was carefully accounted for. The Thule Society, which was pan-Germanic and nationalist, not only contributed members to the NSDAP but helped it raise great amounts of money. Another important contributor was the German Free Corps members gave the NSDAP money, and so did many Stahlhelm members. Additionally, the party acquired strong funding by placing required admittance fees for all public speaking engagements.

        At the end of 1920, the NSDAP had about 3,000 members. Membership then grew from 27,000 in 1925 to 108,000 in 1928. From 1931-1932, the NSDAP was large enough to achieve control of 37% of the legislature and maintained some 400,000 members. By 1933, that number grew well over 2 million. In the election of May 1928, the NSDAP maintained a total of 12 seats in the German legislature. By the election of July 1932, the NSDAP had acquired 230 seats in the German legislature. However, despite the vast increase in numbers and holding the most seats in the Reichstag of July 1932, the NSDAP was not placed into power until later when Hitler was appointed to Chancellor of Germany.

        The National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or “Nazi” party, was founded by Anton Drexler on January 5, 1919. However, it wasn’t until February 24, 1920 that the party was known by this name. At the time of its founding, it was called the German Workers’ Party and supported the views of anti-Semitic, nationalist, anti-capitalist, and anti-Marxist ideas. Despite the strong encouragements to create the party, the party consisted of very few members until after the end of World War I. The ending of World War I soon led to the recruitment of Adolf Hitler, whom became the party’s chief of propaganda due to his complimentary propaganda and oratory skills. From the efforts of Hitler’s speeches and propaganda, the German Worker’s Party slowly grew in numbers. During a meeting of over 2000 party members, on February 24, 1920, Hitler declared the new name for which the party would be known as from that point on –the “National Socialist German Workers’ Party” (NSDAP). Not long after the new name had been established, the party’s recruitments and popularity continued to drastically increase. By 1931, the NSDAP was large enough to achieve control of 37% of the legislature. The Nazi Party was given power over the state when Hitler was appointed to Chancellor of Germany in 1932. After taking power, Hitler began intertwining the roles of the Nazi party with that of Germany’s government. In doing so, all other political parties were banned allowing for the declaration of Nazi Germany. Under Nazi rule, Hitler began to fulfill his dream of an “Aryan master race”, therefore conducting the systematic mass murders of over 11 million Jews, Romani, and the physically and mentally handicapped. This dreaded event became known as the Holocaust and helped ignite the resistance from other Nations, leading to the downfall and dissolution of the National Socialist German Worker’s Party.