Hitler and the Nazis

Where did the Nazi Party come from?

• In Bavaria, a man named Drexler formed a new nationalist party called the German Workers Party (DAP) and nationalists joined. Adolf Hitler (nationalist and anti-Semite) became a member of the DAP and changed the name to National Socialist German Workers Party. He became the leader of the party in 1921.
• Prior to the first World War, some nationalist parties existed. These parties supported the Kaiser and the Government. Following the defeat of the war, the nationalists were devastated. They had their say within the new democracy but they still wished the (now abdicated) Kaiser would rule.

What did the Nazis stand for?

• Above all, the Nazi Party was a nationalist one. The Nazi Party wanted a strong powerful Germany consisting only of those pure of race. The Jewish community clearly didn't fit into this ideal and they were heavily persecuted. Other non- Aryan groups were targeted but the Jews suffered the most. The Nazis preached racial hatred and encouraged attacks on disliked groups.
• The Nazis thought that the control of the state was highly important too. This involved having one party controlling the entire Government system and all aspects of life. People's work, education and leisure would be controlled by this one party. Hitler even declared that there would never be a time during which a person 'is left entirely alone to himself.'
• The Nazis, like most Germans, felt the terms of the Treaty of…