German Workers' Party facts for kids
The German Workers' Party (DAP), also known as the German: Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, was a political group in Germany right after World War I. It didn't last very long. This party later became the Nazi Party, which was officially called the National Socialist German Workers' Party (German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei, or NSDAP).
Quick facts for kids
German Workers' Party
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| Leader | Anton Drexler Karl Harrer (1919-1920) |
| Founded | January 5, 1919 |
| Dissolved | February 24, 1920 |
| Preceded by | None (de jure) German Fatherland Party (de facto) |
| Succeeded by | National Socialist German Workers' Party |
| Headquarters | Munich, Germany |
| Ideology | German nationalism Pan-Germanism Anti-capitalism Anti-communism Anti-Semitism |
| Political position | Far-right politics |
Contents
How the Party Started
The DAP was created in Munich on January 5, 1919. It was founded by Anton Drexler and Michael Lotter. The party grew from a group Drexler had also started. This group was called the 'Free Worker's Committee for a Good Peace'.
Most of the first members of the DAP were friends of Drexler. They worked with him at the Munich train station. Drexler wanted a party that supported German pride. He also wanted it to appeal to everyday people. Most other groups like this were for middle-class people. About forty people were in the party at first.
On March 24, 1919, Karl Harrer joined the DAP. He was a sports journalist. Harrer was also part of a group called the Thule Society. He joined to try and get more control over the DAP for his group. The party still had few members. Meetings often took place in local pubs.
When Adolf Hitler Joined
When Adolf Hitler was a soldier in the German army, he got an order. He was told to watch the DAP. This happened during one of their meetings. It was at a place called the Sterneckerbräu on September 12, 1919.
Hitler was very good at giving speeches. Because of this, Anton Drexler asked him to join the party. Hitler thought about it. He then joined near the end of September 1919. At that time, the party did not have membership numbers or cards.
In January 1920, the DAP started giving out membership cards. They began with number 501. This was to make the party seem bigger. Hitler received number 555. He was also committee member number 7. Later, Hitler claimed he was party member number 7. He did this to make it look like he helped start the DAP.
Changing to the Nazi Party
The small number of party members quickly believed in Hitler's ideas. To make the party more popular, the DAP changed its name. This happened on February 24, 1920. It became the National Socialist German Workers' Party.
The new name was similar to another party. This other party was active in Austria at the time. At first, Hitler wanted a different name. He wanted it to be the 'Social Revolutionary Party'. But Rudolf Jung convinced Hitler to use the name NSDAP.
Who Were the Early Members?
Hitler was the 55th member of the party. Other well-known early members included:
- Karl Harrer
- Anton Drexler
- Gottfried Feder
- Dietrich Eckart
- Alfred Rosenberg
- Hans Frank
See also
In Spanish: Partido Obrero Alemán para niños
