Hitler and Nazi History: How He Came to Power in 1920

Few would have thought that the Nazi Party, starting as a gang of unemployed soldiers in 1919, would become the legal government of Germany by 1933. In fourteen years, Adolf Hitler, a once obscure corporal, would become the Chancellor of Germany.

World War I ended in 1918 with a grisly total of 37 million casualties, including 9 million dead combatants. The German population swallowed the bitter pill of defeat as the victorious Allies punished Germany severely. Germany was disarmed and forced to pay reparations to France and Britain for the enormous costs of the war in the Treaty of Versailles.
When a new government, the Weimar Republic, attempted to chart a democratic path, extreme political parties on the right and left clashed violently for control. The new regime was unable to deal with the slumping economy or the rampant lawlessness and disorder.
Like many similar groups of demobilized soldiers, the German Workers' Party, the forerunner of the Nazi Party, advocated right-wing ideology. In 1919, Adolf Hitler joined this small political party and rose to prominence through his emotional and captivating speeches. The Nazi Party had approximately 3,000 members by the end of 1920. A year later Hitler became its official leader, or Führer.

The Beer Hall Putsch, Adolf Hitler's attempt to overthrow local authorities in Munich, failed miserably. The Nazi Party appeared to be doomed to failure, and its leaders, including Hitler, were imprisoned and charged with high treason. Hitler was sent to prison for most of 1924.

After Hitler was released from prison, he formally resurrected the Nazi Party. Hitler began rebuilding and reorganizing the Party in order to gain political power in Germany at a later date. In 1925, Conservative military hero Paul von Hindenburg was elected President of Germany, and the country stabilized.

Hitler expertly navigated Nazi Party politics to emerge as the sole leader. The Führerprinzip, or leader principle, established Hitler as the one and only person to whom Party members swore eternal loyalty. He made the final decision, and his strategy was to build a highly centralized and structured party capable of competing in future German elections. The Nazi Party began to organize a mass movement. The Party grew from 27,000 members in 1925 to 108,000 in 1929.
However, it was the Great Depression's effects in Germany that gave the Nazi Party its first true national prominence. The Nazi Party took advantage of the millions of unemployed and dissatisfied supporters that the significant rise in period 1929–30.
By 1932, the Weimar democracy had failed to cope with national despair, as unemployment had doubled from three million to six million, or one in three, people. The current "Great Coalition" government, a coalition of left-wing and conservative parties, fell apart over the rising cost of unemployment benefits.
By attacking the current administration, the Nazis took advantage of the situation and started to win elections in the July 1932.
In January 1933, Hitler was appointed German chancellor and his Nazi government quickly established complete control over all facets of German life.
On July 14, 1933, government declared the Nazi Party to be the only political party in Germany and Hitler became its dictator.

Timestamps:
0:00 - Intro
3:02 - Early Life
6:40 - Vienna
8:56 - Munich
10:16 - First World War
11:48 - German Army
14:55 - The War
16:16 - Treaty of Versailles
19:49 - The Weimar Republic

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