National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP): program, leaders, symbols, history

In Germany, in 1920, the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP), in Russian - the NSDAP, or the NSDPG) began its existence, and since 1933 it has become the only legitimate ruling party in the country. The decision of the anti-Hitler coalition after the defeat in 1945 was dissolved, the Nuremberg trial recognized its leadership as criminal, and the ideology inadmissible in connection with the threat of the existence of mankind.

Start

In 1919, the German Workers' Party (DAP) was set up on the platform of the Committee of Free Workers for Peace (Freien Arbeiterausschuss für einen guten Frieden), which was also founded by Drexler, in Munich by a railroadman Anton Drexler. His mentor, Paul Tafel, the company's director and leader of the Pan-German Union, proposed the idea of creating a nationalist party that would rely on workers. Under the wing of the WCT, there have already been about 40 members since the creation. The program of the political party was not yet sufficiently developed.

Adolf Hitler joined the DAP in September 1919, and six months later he was announced the "Program of twenty-five points", which entailed a change of name. Now it has finally acquired its name as the National Socialist German Workers' Party. Hitler did not invent innovations himself, National Socialism had already been proclaimed at that time in Austria. In order not to copy the name of the Austrian party, Hitler proposed the Socialist-Revolutionary Party. But he was persuaded. Publicism seized the idea by cutting the abbreviation to "the Nazis," since the name "socialists" (socialists) already existed, by analogy.

Twenty-five points

To outline this fateful program, approved in February 1920, will have to be briefly.

1. Great Germany must unite all Germans on its territory.
2. To renounce all the terms of the Treaty of Versailles, than to confirm Germany's right to independently build relations with other nations.
3. Lebensraum: require the territory in addition to produce food and settle the increasing German population.
4. Citizenship granted on racial grounds. Jews will not be citizens of Germany.
5. All non-Germans can only be guests.
6. Official posts should be occupied by people of appropriate qualifications and abilities, any plan nepotism is unacceptable.
7. The state is obliged to provide conditions for the existence of citizens. With resource shortages, all non-citizens are excluded from beneficiaries.
8. The entry of non-Germans to Germany to cease.
9. All citizens have not only the right, but also the duty to participate in elections.
10. Every German citizen must work for the common good.
11. Illegal profits are confiscated.
12. All profits received through war are confiscated.
13. Nationalization of all large enterprises.
14. Workers and employees participate in the profits of large industries.
15. The old-age pension should be decent.
16. The need to support traders and small producers, the transfer of all major stores to them.
17. Reforms in land ownership, the cessation of speculation.
18. For the gamble of capital punishment, all criminal offenses are cruelly punished.
19. Replacement of the Roman right to German law.
20. Reorganization of the German educational system.
21. State support of motherhood and encouragement of youth in development.
22. Universal military service, the national army instead of professional.
23. All mass media on the territory of the country should only be with the Germans, non-Germans work in them is prohibited.
24. Religion is free, except for religions that are dangerous to Germany. Jewish materialism is forbidden.
25. Strengthening of the central authority, effectively implementing legislation.

Parliament

Since April 1, 1920, the Hitler program of the political party has become official, and since 1926 all its provisions have been recognized as unshakable. From 1924 to 1933, the party gained strength and quickly grew stronger. Parliamentary elections demonstrate the growth of the votes of German voters from year to year.

If in May 1924 the National Socialist German Workers' Party gained only 6.6% in the elections, and in December even less - only 3%, then in 1930 the vote became 18.3%. In 1932, the supporters of National Socialism increased significantly: in July, 37.4% voted for the NSDAP, and finally, in March 1933, Hitler's party received almost 44% of the votes. Since 1923, there have been regular congresses of the Nazi Party of Socialist Republics, there were only ten of them, and the last one took place in 1938.

Ideology

The totalitarian ideology of National Socialism combines elements of socialism, racism, nationalism, anti-Semitism, fascism and anti-communism. That is why the National Socialist German Workers' Party declared its goal to be the construction of an Aryan state with racial purity and a vast territory on which everything is needed for the well-being and prosperity of the millennium Reich.

For the first time, Hitler made a report to the party in October 1919. Then the history of the party was just beginning, and the audience was small - only one hundred and eleven people. But the future Fuhrer fascinated them completely and completely. In principle, the postulates in his speeches have never changed - the emergence of fascism has already occurred. First, Hitler told how great he sees Germany and declared its enemies: the Jews and Marxists, who condemned the country to defeat in the First World War and subsequent suffering. Then it was said about revenge and about German weapons, which will eliminate poverty in the country. The demand for the return of the colonies in spite of the "barbaric" Treaty of Versailles was reinforced by the intention to annex many new territories.

Structure of the party

The National Socialist German Workers' Party was built on a territorial basis, the structure was hierarchical. Absolute power and unlimited powers belonged to the chairman of the party. The first head from January 1919 to February 1920 was journalist Karl Harrer. He took an active part in the creation of the WCT. He was succeeded by Anton Drexler, who became the honorary chairman of the party one year later, when he transferred the reins of the government to Adolf Hitler in July 1921.

Directly the party apparatus was headed by the deputy Fuhrer. From 1933 to 1941, this post was occupied by Rudolf Hess, who created the Staff of the Deputy Fuhrer, who immediately in 1933 was headed by Martin Bormann, who in 1941 transformed the Headquarters into the Party Chancellery. Since 1942, Bormann is the secretary of the Fuhrer. In 1945, Hitler wrote a will in which he established a new party post - the minister for affairs of the party appeared and became its head. Bormann stayed at the head of the Nazi Party for a short time - about four days, from the thirtieth of April until the surrender of May 2 was signed.

His struggle

When the Nazis attempted a coup d'état, the Bavarian Commissioner Gustav von Car issued a decree banning the National Socialist Party. However, this did not have any effect, the popularity of both the party and its Fuhrer grew at a tremendous rate: already in 1924, forty deputies of the Reichstag belonged to the NSDAP. In addition, members of the party were hiding under other names of newly created organizations. This also applies to the Great German People's Community of Julius Streicher, the People's Bloc, and the National Socialist Liberation Movement, and many other smaller parties.

In 1925, the Nazi Party again came to a legal position, but its leaders disagreed on purely tactical issues - how much socialism and how much nationalism should support this movement. Thus, the party was divided into two wings. The whole of 1926 was a split and a bitter struggle between the right and the left. The party conference in Bamberg was the apogee in this confrontation. Then, on May 22, 1926, and without overcoming the contradictions, Hitler in Munich still elected their leader. And they did it unanimously.

Reasons for the popularity of Nazism

In Germany, the severity of the economic crisis in the early twenties of the twentieth century was peak, the discontent of all sections of the population grew, as in leaps and bounds. Against this background, it was not so difficult to frown the masses with the ideas of nationalism and militarism, proclaiming the race of gentlemen and the historical mission of Germany. The number of adherents and sympathizers of the Nazi Party grew rapidly, attracting thousands and thousands of boys from various classes and classes to the ranks of the Nazis. The party developed dynamically and did not disdain populist methods when recruiting new followers.

The cadres that formed the backbone of the NSDAP were quite impressive: for the most part they were members of government-disbanded paramilitary associations and veteran unions (the Pan-German Union and the German People's Union of Offensive and Defense, for example). In January 1923, at the first congress of the party, Hitler conducted a ceremony of consecration of the banner of the NSDAP. Then came the Nazi symbols. After the end of the congress, the first torchlight procession of six thousand SA storm troopers passed. In autumn the party numbered more than 55 thousand people.

Preparing for the seizure of the world

In February 1925, the previously forbidden newspaper - the printed organ of the NSDAP - "Volkischer Beobachter" again began to be published. At the same time, Hitler made one of his most successful acquisitions - Goebbels, who founded the journal Angryf, passed to his side. In addition, the NSDAP was given the opportunity to broadcast its theoretical research with the help of the "National Socialist Monthly". In July 1926, at the Weimar Congress of the NSDAP, Hitler decided to change party tactics.

Instead of terrorist methods of struggle, he recommended political opponents to squeeze out of all management structures, be elected to the Reichstag and to the parliaments of the land. This had to be done, of course, without letting go of the main goal - the eradication of communism and the revision of the Versailles Treaty.

Capital raising

With all sorts of tricks, Hitler managed to interest the program of the Nazi Party of the most significant financial and industrial figures in Germany. The parties trusted and joined in its ranks such bonzes as Wilhelm Kappler, Emil Kirdorf, editor of the exchange newspaper Walter Funk, chairman of the Reichsbank Yalmar Shacht and many, many of those who, in addition to their membership, which was a good PR for the people, contributed to the party fund Huge amounts of money. The crisis deepened, unemployment uncontrollably grew, the Social Democrats did not justify popular confidence. Most social groups lost ground, the very foundations of their existence collapsed.

Small producers are desperate, blaming government democracy for their troubles. Many saw a way out of this situation only in strengthening power and a one-party government. Both bankers and entrepreneurs of the largest scale willingly joined these requirements and subsidized the Nazi Party in election campaigns. All connected with this party and personally with Hitler, national and personal aspirations. For the rich, it was primarily an anti-communist barrier. In July 1932, the first results were summed up: 230 mandates in the elections to the Reichstag against 133 from the Social Democrats and 89 from the Communists.

Divisions

As part of the party in 1944 there were nine Angeschlossene Verbände - affiliated unions, seven Gliederungen der Partei - party units and four organizations. The unions that joined the NSDAP consisted of lawyers, teachers, employees, doctors, technicians, the Alliance for Assistance to Victims of War, the Union of Public Welfare, the Labor Front and the Alliance for Air Defense. They were independent organizations in the party structure, they had legal rights and property.

The political party in Germany had divisions: Hitler Youth, SS (security detachments), SA (assault units), unions of German girls, associate professors, students, women (NS-Frauenschaft), mechanized corps. The organizations that Adolf Hitler's party annexed were crowded but not very significant: they are a culture society, an alliance of large families, German communities (Deutscher Gemeindetag) and Das Deutsche Frauenwerk.

Administrative division

Germany was divided into thirty-three Gaue - party areas that coincide with the constituencies. The number of them increased over time: by 1941, the Gau was already 43, plus the foreign organization of the NSDAP. The Gau was divided into districts, and those into local branches, then - cells and blocks. In the block, up to 60 houses were united.

Each party organizational unit was headed by Gauleiter, Krausleiter and the like. On the local level, party apparatuses were created, respectively, officials had insignia, titles and uniforms that Nazi symbols had adorned. The color of the buttonholes indicated the identity and position held in the structure of the organization.

Branches

The NSDAP subordinated not only its own members of the party, but also parties in the territories of Germany's allies and in the occupied countries. In Italy, until 1943, Benito Mussolini directed the National Fascist Party (it is believed that the cradle of fascism was there), after becoming a Republican fascist party. In Spain, the Spanish phalanx was completely dependent on the Nazi Party.

Similar organizations functioned in Slovakia, Romania, Croatia, Hungary, Czechoslovakia, the Netherlands, Norway. And Belgium and Denmark had literally the branches of the Nazi Party in their territory, even the Nazi symbolism coincided almost completely. It should be noted that all the states listed above, where Nazi parties were established, participated on the German side in the Second World War, and many representatives of all these countries appeared in the Soviet captivity.

Defeat

The unconditional surrender of 1945 put an end to the existence of the most inhuman party ever created by mankind. The NSDAP is not only dissolved, but also universally banned, the property is completely confiscated, the leaders are convicted and executed. True, many party members still managed to escape to South America, the Spanish ruler Franco helped in this, providing both ships and subsidies.

By the decision of the anti-fascist coalition, Germany was completely subjected to the process of denazification, the active members of the NSDAP were checked specifically: dismissal from the leadership or from educational institutions is still a very small price for what fascism has done on earth.

Postwar time

In Germany in 1964, fascism again raised its head. Nationaldemokratische Partei Deutschlands appeared - the National Democratic Party of Germany, which positioned itself as the successor of the NSDAP. For the first time since the Second World War, neo-Nazis approached the Bundestag - 4.3% in the 1969 elections. Before the NPD in Germany, there were other neo-Nazi formations, the Socialist Imperial Party of Remer, for example, but it should be noted that not a single one of them has achieved notable results at the federal level.