Birth of the Nazi Party and Hitler’s Early Rise (1919–1920)
Birth of the Nazi Party and Hitler’s Early Rise (1919–1920)
The Nazi Party formation: January 1919
Formed in Munich as the German Workers’ Party (DAP).
Soon renamed the National Socialist German Workers’ Party (NSDAP). The renaming occurs within the early 1920s; the key is the shift to a nationalist-socialist branding.
Hitler’s involvement and rise:
Hitler is not present among the founding members on 01/05/1919 in Munich.
He is an Army informant after the war and is assigned to scout new parties and movements.
He joins the party in September after visiting a meeting in Munich.
He rapidly transforms the party, and by the he dominates its direction and leadership style.
Context for understanding: why study the party and Germany in
To assess whether the party was an extreme outlier or part of broader postwar patterns in Germany.
To understand how conditions in post-WWI Germany contributed to a radical nationalist movement taking shape.
Hitler’s Background and Path to Power
Early life:
Born in Austria in ; notable that he built his career in Germany as a foreign-born, non-citizen.
Came from a lower-middle-class family; father was a customs agent.
Wanted to be an artist; moved to Vienna; failed to gain entry to the arts academy.
World War I experience:
War begins in ; referred to at the time as the Great War.
Hitler did not want to fight for Austria; he crosses into Germany and serves in the German army instead.
After the war, he stays in the army rather than leaving; the army uses him as an informant to monitor new parties and movements.
Postwar agency role:
The army seeks to know what revolutionary or party movements are forming in Germany and uses individuals to surveil them.
Hitler reports back on meetings and developments, which helps him find the Nazi movement and decide to join.
The 1920 Nazi Party Program: Content and Language
Base question for students: read the 1920 Nazi Party program and pick one word to describe the party; the instructor asks for a single word capturing its essence.
Core characteristics identified in the program:
Nationalism: emphasis on Germany-first priority; the party’s name itself foregrounds national identity.
Opposition to individual profit; emphasis on the common good.
Racial and ethnic exclusions: explicit calls against what they term “non German blood,” laying groundwork for anti-immigration and racial policy.
Press and information control: calls for censorship and control of the press to ensure messaging stays within the nationalist frame and to isolate foreign influence.
Anti-Semitism and racism: explicit anti-Semitic language and a broader xenophobic stance; the Nazis present Jews as a race rather than a religion.
Claims to religious freedom but framed through a racial lens; paradoxes noted where they condemn certain groups yet claim religious liberty for others.
The party program’s enemies and targets:
The Allies and their postwar actions against Germany.
Foreign influence and foreign language publications; emphasis on German-only messaging to avoid foreign influence being mistaken for German authors.
Key linguistic points:
Nationalism is framed as a holistic, uncompromising stance; the party presents itself as fighting for the German nation and its perceived rights.
The program is presented as a response to the postwar international order and Versailles-imposed terms.
Nationalism, Race, and Citizenship: What the Program Encodes
National scope and “Greater Germany”:
The party’s language advocates the union of all Germans to form a greater Germany.
This includes Austria (Hitler’s homeland) and territories with German-speaking populations.
They appeal to the principle of national self-determination but use it to justify expansion and exclusionary goals.
Citizenship by blood:
Citizenship is tied to racial criteria; those deemed to lack “German blood” are excluded from citizenship.
This logic underpins the exclusion of Jews as a race rather than a religious group and is used to separate German nationals from those deemed non-German by birth.
Immigration and foreignness:
The program is explicit about immigration restrictions and opposing immigration more broadly.
It ties the fate of the nation to an ethnically homogeneous citizenry.
Anti-Semitism, Xenophobia, and the Racial Frame
Anti-Semitism as a central, explicit element:
The program is described as anti-Semitic; while religion is mentioned, the underlying logic treats Jews as a race with distinct bloodlines.
The racial framing posits that Jews cannot be German citizens because they are racially different, regardless of religious belief.
Xenophobia and foreigners:
The platform is explicit about expelling or excluding foreigners and preventing inflows of new groups perceived as threats to “the German people.”
The paradox of “freedom of religion”:
The Nazis claim to support religious freedom while simultaneously advancing a racial hierarchy that limits who is considered a true member of the nation.
Significance:
These elements help explain the long-term genocidal trajectory and the psychic appeal of a strong, exclusionary national project.
The Relationship to Socialism: Tensions Within the Movement
Socialism defined in historical terms:
Socialism historically encompasses movements seeking greater worker empowerment and redistribution of means of production.
The spectrum ranges from reformist, parliamentary social democracy to revolutionary communism.
The Nazi party’s stance on socialism in 1920:
The Nazis incorporate some socialist-sounding demands (e.g., worker protections, calls for fair profit distribution) but do not intend to align with or support socialist internationalism.
Hitler + the NSDAP aim to attract workers without adopting a true socialist program; the party remains deeply nationalist and state-centric rather than internationalist.
Key distinction:
Social democrats and communist groups within the broader socialist tradition operate with different end goals (parliamentary reform vs. revolutionary overthrow).
The Nazis appeal to workers on welfare and employment concerns but frame solutions through nationalist and racial lines rather than class-based solutions.
Intra-party tensions:
By the early 1920s, there are internal debates about whether to push more socialist or more nationalist-economic programs; some members advocate profits redistribution and sector nationalization, but these do not define Nazi policy once Hitler consolidates power.
Versailles Treaty: Territorial, Military, and Economic Provisions
Territory and colonies:
Versailles stripped Germany of colonies and substantial European territories (France, Poland, Denmark, Belgium, etc.).
The map shows redrawn borders and “lost territories”; returning to prewar borders is a constant theme in Nazi rhetoric.
Key pieces of the treaty:
Loss of territories in Europe where German-speaking populations resided; the emphasis is on reconfiguration of the German-speaking world.
The treaty’s moral economy includes reparations and a loss of influence in various regions.
Military restrictions and demilitarization:
Standing army limited to troops; conscription banned; no air force; no tanks or submarines; severe restrictions on weapons and armaments.
The Rhineland becomes a demilitarized zone to prevent German military presence close to France.
Economic and political implications:
The treaty imposes economic penalties, territorial losses, and national humiliation that feed nationalist resentment.
The NSDAP leverages these grievances to recruit supporters who feel Germany was treated unfairly by the Allied powers.
The WWI Context: German Suffering, Unrest, and the Russian Revolution
German home front suffering:
By 1917, Germany experiences hunger and deprivation; blockades contribute to social unrest.
Women’s street protests become more common as the war drags on and conditions worsen.
The Russian Revolution of 1917:
Bolshevik rise to power demonstrates a successful revolutionary model, sparking alarm among conservative and centrist populations in Germany.
The revolution also causes Russia to exit the war, shifting the war’s dynamics in favor of Germany temporarily.
Shifts in military fortunes by 1918:
By March , Germany looks to be gaining eastern territory (e.g., Ukraine) and feels momentum due to Russia’s exit.
The perceived strategic advantages waver as submarine warfare and aircraft limits bite, and the Allied blockade continues to erode German capacity to sustain the war effort.
The US entry:
The entry of the United States into the war is a decisive turning point, undermining German expectations of victory despite early territorial gains.
Overall significance for the Nazi rise:
The combination of military setback, economic distress, and political upheaval creates fertile ground for anti-establishment and nationalist movements like the NSDAP.
Army Role, Propaganda, and the Path to Power
The Army’s ongoing surveillance function:
The army continues to monitor political parties and movements forming in Germany after the war.
Informants like Hitler were used to gauge potential threats and opportunities for influence.
Propaganda and leadership cult:
Hitler’s leadership style and rhetoric become central to the party’s growth; control of the party’s messaging and organizational structure helps him consolidate influence.
The structural change from party to movement:
The NSDAP evolves under Hitler into a highly centralized party with a singular leadership vision, foreshadowing later totalitarian control.
Connections, Implications, and Takeaways
Why this matters for understanding Nazi rise:
The party’s platform in 1920 already integrates nationalism, antisemitism, xenophobia, and a hierarchical view of citizenship—key pillars that drive later policy and atrocities.
The program’s tension between nationalist socialism and traditional socialist ideals helps explain why Nazis attracted some workers while rejecting socialist internationalism.
Foundational principles at play:
National self-determination as a legitimating framework used selectively to justify expansion and exclusion.
The interplay of economic distress, territorial grievance, and demoralization after defeat as a rallying force for radical movements.
Ethical and practical implications:
The rhetoric of “common good” and “blood” logics raises critical concerns about how democratic norms can be eroded when citizenship becomes exclusive and racialized.
Press censorship and control of information illustrate how propaganda can consolidate power and suppress dissent.
Real-world relevance:
The early 1920s dynamics foreshadow later developments in German politics, including how a radical movement could reorganize society around a totalitarian project.
Key open questions for further study:
How did internal party debates shape Nazi policy after 1920, and what factors helped Hitler consolidate control over the NSDAP?
In what ways did the Versailles settlement feed specific policies in the Nazi regime, and how did competing global pressures influence German decision-making in the 1930s?
Quick Reference: Key Dates and Numbers
Formation of the party: January
Hitler joins: September
Nazi Party program (1920): issued in (often linked to the 25-point program in some sources)
Military restrictions under Versailles: standing army troops; no conscription; no air force; no tanks or submarines
Territorial and political outcomes (Versailles context): loss of colonies and significant European territories; demilitarized Rhineland; Saarland considerations appear in later discussion (1935 reference)
Russia’s 1917 revolution and its impact on German politics
U.S. entry into WWI as a critical turning point