How+did+he+start+his+political+career+and+gain+power?

=**__ How did Hitler start his political career and gain power? __**=

(Adolf Hitler) (Speeches)

After WWI Adolf Hitler was recruited by military intelligence to keep tabs on DAP, German Workers’ Party. Hitler became more interested in the party’s ideas such as nationalism and anti-Semitism. (anti-Semitism) He began to think of how he could perhaps transform the party to fit his own goals. He gradually worked his way up in the ranks of the party until in 1921 he became president of it. He worked to make it larger and more well-known and changed it to the NSDAP, National Socialist German Worker’s Party, otherwise known as the Nazi party.

At the same while he was improving DAP, he was also becoming a prominent authority figure on the “Jewish problem.” He began to speak at assemblies about how the Jews were responsible for the terrible state of Germany after WWI, benefitting from Germany’s problems, as well as many other issues. An excerpt from Hitler's speech in Munich April 12, 1922, explaining how Jews were benefiting from Aryan Germans' problems. "And if we ask who was responsible for our misfortune, then we must inquire who profited by our collapse. And the answer to that question is that 'Banks and Stock Exchanges are more flourishing than ever before.[...]Christian capitalism' is already as good as destroyed, the international Jewish Stock Exchange capital gains in proportion as the other loses ground." (Munich) More and more people began to listen and follow Hitler because of his power with words, giving mesmerizing speeches and inspiring people. In addition to spreading hatred of the Jews, he also promised that he would reunite the German empire, what is now Austria, Poland Germany and other surrounding countries. Many people had been angry with the Treaty of Versailles and supported his ideas of making Germany a great empire. Otto Strasser, one of Hitler's harshest critics says, "Adolf Hitler enters a hall. He snuffs the air. For a minute he gropes, feels his way, senses the atmosphere. Suddenly he bursts forth [shouting]: 'The individual has ceased to count...Germany was trampled underfoot. Germans must be united, the interests of each [are not as important as] the interests of all. I will give you back your honor and make Germany invincible....' His words go like an arrow to their target, he touches each private wound on the raw, .... expressing [people's] innermost [hopes], telling [them] what [they] most want to hear." (Ayer, 12)

In 1923 Hitler decided to try and overthrow the current government in Munich and put himself in power. While the Bavarian government was having a political rally, Hitler ran in and announced the hall was surrounded with his soldiers. Hitler captured Bavarian officials and ordered them to support his revolution, but by the time the night was over the ‘rebellion’ had fallen apart from lack of organization and direction. Nazi leaders including Hitler were put in prison, with Hitler sentenced to a five year sentence. However after nine months he was discharged for good behavior. Prison was where he dictated the first volume of Mein Kampf. (My Struggles) It was an autobiography, and outlined his political philosophy on Jews, communists and democrats. It was a book that rambled, was tedious, filled with lies and misinformation, and was poorly written. (Mein Kampf) With the publication of Mein Kampf, his ideas spread even faster and more and more people were persuaded to follow Hitler and his anti-Semitic notions.

After being released from prison, Hitler began reestablished the NSDAP party and tried to become chancellor. The president of Germany, Paul von Hindenburg, was distrustful of Hitler and did not like him. He instead appointed Franz von Papen, who proved to be a weak and ineffective chancellor. Both Hindenburg and Papen did not have the public's favor, whereas Hitler did. The president was too old and too hard pressed to elect a new chancellor that he finally decided to compromise, and elected General Kurt von Schleicher. However, Schleicher was a weak chancellor as well, and Hindenburg was vehemently urged to elect Hitler as chancellor. Hindenburg did not want to do this, but as he was losing control over Germany, knew had to. While in a meeting with his advisors, he said to them, "Is it my unpleasant duty then to appoint this fellow Hitler as chancellor then?" (Ayer, 53) Rumors began to form about an uprising that was to bring Hitler to power. These rumors were false however, Hitler had no intention of a military uprising, but the rumors were started in order to scare Schleicher into giving up his chancellorship. It worked, and Schleicher did indeed give up his power. Hitler then stepped up to become chancellor. In the next few years Adolf would gain even more power, establish himself as dictator, and enforce countless laws upon the Jews living in Germany. Isabel Steven