Nazi Party

The Nazi Party, officially called the National Socialist German Workers' Party, was a far-right political party in Germany from 1920 to 1945. It began as a small group called the German Workers' Party and grew from extremist and nationalist movements after World War I. The party used ideas that aimed to unite certain Germans while excluding others, especially those they viewed as different or unwanted.

Central to the Nazi Party's beliefs were strict ideas about race. They wanted to protect and strengthen what they called the "Aryan master race" through laws and programs that limited the rights of many people, including Jews, Romani, Slavs, the disabled, and others. These terrible actions reached their worst during a time known as the Holocaust, when millions of people were treated horribly and lost their lives.

Adolf Hitler, who led the party from 1921, became the leader of Germany in 1933. He took control of the country and created a strict government known as the Third Reich. After Germany lost World War II, the Nazi Party was banned, and many of its leaders were tried for their crimes. Today, symbols linked to the Nazi Party are not allowed in many places as a reminder of the importance of remembering these dark times in history.

Name

The National Socialist German Workers' Party, often called the Nazi Party, changed its name from the German Workers' Party to try to attract support from both left and right groups. The word "Socialist" and "Workers'" aimed at those on the left, while "National" and "German" appealed to those on the right.

The term "Nazi" started as a nickname and was not the party's official name. It came from shortening the party's name to "Nationalsozialist." Over time, it became a common way to refer to members of the party. When Adolf Hitler took power in 1933, the use of "Nazi" decreased in Germany but continued to be used by people opposed to the party.

History

Origins and early years: 1918–1923

The Nazi Party started from small groups that formed near the end of World War I. In 1918, a group called the Free Workers' Committee for a Good Peace was created in Bremen, Germany. Anton Drexler, a strong German nationalist, started a branch of this group in Munich. He was against the peace treaty that ended World War I and believed strongly in the idea that Germans were a special race.

Drexler and others formed the German Workers' Party in 1919. Adolf Hitler joined this party in 1919 and soon became a key leader. Hitler helped the party grow by giving speeches and organizing events. In 1920, the party changed its name to the National Socialist German Workers' Party, or Nazi Party.

Rise to power: 1925–1933

After some early struggles, the Nazi Party began to grow in the 1920s. Hitler became the undisputed leader and used powerful speeches to attract supporters. The party's ideas appealed to many Germans who were unhappy with the country's situation after World War I and during the Great Depression.

The Nazi Party won more votes in elections and became a major political force. Hitler was appointed Chancellor of Germany in 1933. With this position, he and his party began to take control of the country, changing laws to give themselves more power.

After taking power: intertwining of party and state

After becoming leaders of Germany, the Nazi Party worked to control every part of German life. They made laws that gave the party and its leaders control over the government. The party and the state became very mixed, with party leaders holding important government positions.

Defeat and abolition

The Nazi Party and its leader, Hitler, led Germany into World War II. The war ended in 1945 when Germany was defeated. The Nazi Party was then banned, and efforts were made to remove its influence from German society. The party was officially abolished in October 1945.

NSDAP federal election results (1924–1933)
Election	Votes			Seats
Election	No.	%	+/–	No.	+/–
May 1924 (as National Socialist Freedom Movement)	1,918,300	6.5 (No. 6)		32 / 472
December 1924 (as National Socialist Freedom Movement)	907,300	3.0 (No. 8)	3.5	14 / 493	18
May 1928	810,100	2.6 (No. 9)	0.4	12 / 491	2
September 1930	6,409,600	18.3 (No. 2)	15.7	107 / 577	95
July 1932	13,745,000	37.3 (No. 1)	19.0	230 / 608	123
November 1932	11,737,000	33.1 (No. 1)	4.2	196 / 584	34
March 1933	17,277,180	43.9 (No. 1)	10.8	288 / 647	92

NSDAP election and referendum results in the Reichstag under Nazi Germany (1933–1938)
Election	Votes	%	Seats
November 1933	39,655,224	92.1	661 / 661
1936	44,462,458	98.8	741 / 741
1938	44,451,092	99.0	813 / 813

Political programme

Main article: National Socialist Program

The Nazi Party had a set of rules called the National Socialist Programme. It had 25 important ideas and was often called the "25-point plan." Adolf Hitler announced these ideas in 1920 when the party was still known as the German Workers' Party. These ideas stayed the same, with only small changes, until the party ended.

Party composition

Command structure

The Nazi Party was led by a single chairman, known as "Der Führer". This person had complete control over the entire party, and all other leaders had to follow their orders. In 1934, Hitler created a special office called the Chancellery of the Führer to help manage this role.

Nazi Party offices

The Nazi Party had many different offices that handled various tasks, such as foreign affairs, military policy, and other important areas.

Paramilitary groups

Besides the party itself, there were several groups that supported Nazi goals. Members of these groups had to first join the Nazi Party before becoming part of these special organizations. One important group was the Hitler Youth, for boys aged fourteen to eighteen, and the League of German Girls for girls.

Affiliated organisations

The Nazi Party also worked with many other groups, like unions for workers, doctors, and teachers. These groups were supported by the party and followed its rules.

Regional administration

The Nazi Party created a strict hierarchy to control its power, which later spread across all of Germany. It split regions into areas called Gaue, each led by a Gauleiter who took orders directly from Hitler. The word Gau came from old times and was chosen for its historic feel, similar to the word shire.

In areas taken after 1937, like Austria, the Nazis removed local governments. New areas called Reichsgaue were created, where the Gauleiters also acted as state leaders. These areas were further split into smaller parts called Kreise, then Zellen, and finally Blöcke, each with their own leaders.

The structure of these Gaue was changed in 1928, and by 1941 there were 42 Gaue in Germany. Some were called Reichsgaue, including areas from Austria, the Sudetenland, and parts taken from Poland and Danzig after the start of World War II.

Later Gaue:

Flanders, existed from 15 December 1944 (Gauleiter in German exile: Jef van de Wiele)
Wallonia, existed from 8 December 1944 (Gauleiter in German exile: Léon Degrelle)

Gaue dissolved before 1945

Associated organisations abroad

Gaue in Switzerland

The Swiss branch of the Nazi Party set up several Party Gaue, named after local capitals. These included Gau Basel-Solothurn, Gau Schaffhausen, Gau Luzern, Gau Bern, and Gau Zürich. The Gau Ostschweiz covered three cantons: St. Gallen, Thurgau, and Appenzell.

Membership

Main article: List of Nazi Party members

The Nazi Party was made up of people from many walks of life. Most members were from the middle class, but there were also workers, farmers, and government workers. By 1933, just before a key leader became the country's leader, the party had over 2 million members. By 1939, that number grew to 5.3 million, and by 1945, it reached 8 million — about 10% of Germany's population at the time.

Many people in the military joined the party, especially after World War II began. The party also had special groups for students and women. There was even a group for German people living outside of Germany.

Party symbols

The Nazi Party used special symbols and colors to show their ideas and beliefs. One main symbol was the swastika, a right-facing shape that they believed stood for their views on race and nation. The party’s colors were red and black, which they said meant different parts of their beliefs.

They also used a special design with a centered swastika for their party flag starting in 1920. Later, when they took control of Germany, this flag became an important symbol for the country too. Another symbol they used was the German eagle, which was placed on top of a swastika inside oak leaves. When the eagle looked to its left, it stood for the party, and when it looked to its right, it stood for the country.

Ranks and rank insignia

Main article: Ranks and insignia of the Nazi Party

Slogans and songs

Some slogans used were "Sieg Heil!" and "Heil Hitler". Their anthem was called the "Horst-Wessel-Lied".

Election year	Votes	%	Seats won	+/–
1927	1,483	0.8	1 / 72	1
1930	32,457	16.4	12 / 72	11
1933	107,331	50.1	38 / 72	26
1935	139,423	59.3	43 / 72	5