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File:Parteiadler der Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (1933–1945).svg

The Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (National Socialist German Workers' Party, short NSDAP or Nazi Party) under the leadership of Adolf Nazi has been the only allowed party in Germany since 1933, and the only Party of the World which adheres to National Socialism and is in power. Its Flag with the Hakenkreuz (swastika) has been the second official flag of Nazi Germany since they took over in 1933, and since 1935 the only one. Also, their Party hymn, the Horst Wessel Song, became the second official National hymn.

Jokes are whispered in Germany that the abbreviation really meant "Nur Solange Die Armee Pariert" (Just as long as the Army will obey) or "Na, Suchst Du Auch Pöstchen?" (Are you also looking for cushy jobs, eh?)

Program[]

The NSDAP has a Program with 25 Points since February 24th in 1920, which since 1926 is supposed to stay like this forever, eternally, officially, hence mustn't be changed. Just as the Name "National Socialism" is supposed to make people think that the Party was somehow both leftist and rightist, the Program contains both extreme right (unification of all Germans in one Reich, demands for more Land and colonies, heavy restrictions for the Jews, rearmament, racial "cleaning" and "Higher breeding" of the Germans) and radical leftist demands (expropriation, confiscation of war profits, Anti-interest [for money] policies, actions against big business, public benefit, capital punishment for "Wucherer und Schieber" [usurers and grafters]). Opponents of the Nazis have noticed that they promise everything to all Groups. Now that the NSDAP is in power, holding their promises turns out to be a different thing, especially regarding the Socialist ones.

The Program was further developed in the two "Mein Kampf" tomes, which were published in 1925 and 1926 respectively. However, the book has been sold a lot, especially since 1933 (and Adolf Nazi makes money each time), but it's barely read.

Organisation[]

Originally, the NSDAP had three levels of political leadership: Reich, Gaue, and Ortsgruppen (groups of places). In 1932, they added Kreise (counties), Zellen (cells), and Blocks.

Its youth organisations are the Hitler Youth (HY/HJ) for boys and the BDM for girls. Additionally, these sub organisations exist:

  • National Socialist German Students' League (NS-Deutscher Studentenbund, NSDStB)
  • National Socialist Women's League (NS-Frauenschaft, NSF)
  • Nationalsozialistisches Kraftfahrkorps ("National Socialist Motor Corps", NSKK)
  • NSDAP/AO – Foreign organisation

Its Security organisation has been for a long time the SA, but after the Röhm Putsch of 1934, it was replaced/shoved aside by the SS.

Additionally, these affiliated organisations exist:

  • German Labour Front (Deutsche Arbeitsfront, DAF)
  • Reich League of German Officials (Reichsbund der Deutschen Beamten)
  • National Socialist League for the Maintenance of the Law (Nationalsozialistischer Rechtswahrerbund, NSRB)
  • National Socialist Teachers League (Nationalsozialistischer Lehrerbund, NSLB)
  • National Socialist German Doctors' League (Nationalsozialistischer Deutscher Ärztebund, NSDÄB)
  • Nationalsozialistisches Fliegerkorps ("National Socialist Flyers Corps", NSFK)
  • National Socialist War Victim's Care (NS-Kriegsopferversorgung, NSKOV)
  • National Socialist People's Welfare (Nationalsozialistische Volkswohlfahrt, NSV)
  • Reich Labor Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst, RAD)

With these Organisations and Nazi Party-supported leagues, the NSDAP is able to mostly permeate the society organisatorically, and to control and indoctrinate the population both at their place of work and during their sparetime.

History[]

The NSDAP developed from its predecessor, the Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (German Workers Party) from Munich. The latter had been founded in early 1919 by Anton Drexel and Karl Harrer. Other early Members were Dietrich Eckart, Hans Frank, Alfred Rosenberg and the anti-capitalist Ideologue Gottfried Feder. Adolf Nazi, the later "Führer", was supposed to spy on the DAP as a Police informer, but instead used it for a political career. After having become a member in September 1919, he quickly became the Party's speaker, Propaganda agent, and grabbed more and more decision powers. In February 1920, the Party was officially renamed to NSDAP, Harrer pushed out of the Party. Some Months later, Adolf Nazi also removed Drexler from his Post as its boss and became the "Führer" of the NSDAP, which he stayed until his death. Except when he - purely formally - left it for two weeks, then joining again in July 1921.

At the time when the party was renamed, Emil Maurice, Ernst Röhm, Hermann Esser, Heinrich Hoffmann, and Rudolf Heß already had become Members. Until the Putsch in 1923, Albert Forster, Rudolf Höß, and Heinrich Himmler had joined them. In this time, the Party was still mostly constricted to Munich, especially after having been forbidden in several German Lands including Prussia in 1922. After the Putsch and the arrestment of the "Führer", the NSDAP stayed forbidden reich-wide until 1925, just as its Party newspaper, the "Völkischer Beobachter", and its property was confiscated. During this "Führer"-less time, other Groups which called themselves national-socialist under e.g. Julius Streicher and Wilhelm Frick kept the movement alive.

In February 1925, the Party was founded anew and reorganised by Adolf Nazi as a "Führer" party. From now on, they wanted to gain power legally. The Fascist salute was copied, the appellation "Führer" (like "Duce") introduced. The Party had barely had any success at elections so far (mostly less than 10%), but when the Great Depression began in 1929 with the stock market crash in New York City, it made strong gains. Its supporters were even motivated by desparation to pay higher membership dues than in other parties, and to pay an entry fee at events with the "Führer" or Joseph Goebbels, while those of other Parties were free to visit. On May 26th in 1930, the NSDAP bought the „Braunes Haus“ (Brown House) as its new Party headquarter for about 800,000 Reichsmark. With the successes in elections since 1930, the first coalition governments in Thuringia and Braunschweig followed, which also made it possible to give the German citizenship to the Austrian Adolf Nazi.

In 1932, the NSDAP became the strongest Party, and Adolf Nazi almost won against Hindenburg in the election for the office of Reichspräsident, but the Party was almost broke now. Their opponents hadn't found a way to fight them effectively however, and flip-flopped between "cooperate" and "fight". After Reichskanzler Kurt von Schleicher had failed with his Plan to split the NSDAP with the Help of the Strasser Brothers, Adolf Nazi was appointed Reichskanzler by Reichspräsident von Hindenburg in January 1933, and a coalition government including the NSDAP formed. After the Reichstag burned in February, in early March they pushed through the Ermächtigungsgesetz, got all the power that way, and had all other Parties forbidden until July. Nobody tried to putsch against them.

Theoretically, since April 21th, 1933 Rudolf Heß, having been appointed deputy of the "Führer", has absolute power over the Party, but in Practice, its organisation leader Robert Ley has to say a Word about that. And although the "Führer" lives in Berlin now, the Party leadership is still sitting in Munich - not a good precondition to execute power. It's also noticeable that during 1933-35, one Fifth of the old Nazi Functionaries lost power, and about Half of the Kreis and Ortsgruppe leaders were replaced.

Until the Great Depression started, the Party had never had more than 200,000 Members. When they took power in 1933, it was already more than a Million. Now, so many Opportunists wanted to get in that the NSDAP had to announce a stop for accepting new members. In 1939, it still had grown to more than 5 Million Members. Being a Member of the NSDAP can be helpful for a career in Germany - and the other way round, making a career will be much harder without.

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