How did the German Workers Party (DAP) develop in the 1920s? In this lesson, we will: Describe how Adolf Hitler changed the DAP after 1919. Assess the impact of these changes. Starter: Explain why the period of 1919 to 1923 was a difficult time for Germany (12 marks)

Who were the DAP? Founded in 1919 in Munich by Anton Drexler. It was mostly made up of ex-soldiers and the unemployed. They would meet up in private rooms in beer halls across Munich. At their first meeting, only ten men attended. They had no official manifesto or ideology. They often discussed issues such as German nationalism, the Treaty of Versailles, the Communist threat and the problem of Jews.

Who was Adolf Hitler? Adolf Hitler was born in Branau, Austria in 1889 into a middle class family. He did not exceed at school – though talented at art, he failed to get into art school. Early in his life he lived on the streets, trying to make money by selling his paintings to portraits. In 1914, Hitler signed up to join the Germany army during the First World War. Returning to Munich after the war, Corporal Hitler was put to work spying on the various political activities in the city.

How did Hitler get involved? Hitler became attracted to Drexler’s political beliefs. In July 1919, Drexler convinced Hitler to leave the army and become a member of the DAP. Hitler claimed to the party’s 501st member, but in reality he was their 51st. After proving himself to be a great speaker, Drexler appoint Hitler as the party’s head of propaganda. At aged 31, Adolf Hitler set out to transform the DAP into a strong political movement.

What problems did the DAP have in the 1920s? They had no proper ideology They only had just over 50 members in Munich. They only appealed to German workers They had no structure, or leadership They had no official party office (they met in pubs)

Problem Solution They had no proper ideology They only had just over 50 members in Munich. They only appealed to German workers They had no structure, or leadership They had no official party office (they met in pubs) Learning Task One For each of the five problems facing the Nazi Party, explain how Hitler tried to solve them. You may wish to match up the 10 boxes with the problems.

Election Percentage of votes Seats in Reichstag 1919 0% 1920 1924 0.1% 1928 2.6% 12