Gregor Strasser facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gregor Strasser
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Gregor Strasser, c. 1928
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| Organisationsabteilung Leiter, later Reichsorganisationsleiter NSDAP |
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| In office 2 January 1928 – 8 December 1932 |
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| Preceded by | General Bruno Heinemann |
| Succeeded by | Adolf Hitler Robert Ley |
| Reichspropagandaleiter NSDAP | |
| In office 16 September 1926 – 2 January 1928 |
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| Preceded by | Otto May |
| Succeeded by | Adolf Hitler |
| Gauleiter of Lower Bavaria; Lower Bavaria-Upper Palatinate; Lower Bavaria |
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| In office 26 February 1925 – 1 November 1929 |
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| Preceded by | Position established |
| Succeeded by | Otto Erbersdobler (Lower Bavaria) Adolf Wagner (Upper Palatinate) |
| Member of the Reichstag | |
| In office 7 December 1924 – March 1933 |
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| Constituency | Upper Bavaria |
| Member of the Bavarian Landtag | |
| In office 4 May 1924 – 7 December 1924 |
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| Constituency | Pfaffenhofen |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 31 May 1892 Geisenfeld, Bavaria, German Empire |
| Died | 30 June 1934 (aged 42) Berlin, Nazi Germany |
| Cause of death | Execution by shooting |
| Political party | Völkischer Block (1922–1925) Nazi Party (1925–1932) |
| Profession | Pharmacist |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |  German Empire Weimar Republic |
| Branch/service |  Bavarian Army |
| Years of service | 1914–1919 |
| Rank | Oberleutnant |
| Unit | Freikorps |
| Battles/wars | World War I German Revolution |
| Awards | Iron Cross |
Gregor Strasser (born May 31, 1892 – died June 30, 1934) was an important German politician and an early leader of the Nazi Party. He and his younger brother, Otto, were key members of a group within the party that had different ideas from Adolf Hitler's main group. This disagreement eventually led to Gregor Strasser's death in 1934. The ideas of the Strasser brothers are sometimes called Strasserism.
Born in Bavaria, Strasser fought in the Imperial German Army during World War I. He became a first lieutenant and earned the Iron Cross twice for his bravery. After the war, he and his brother joined a group called the Freikorps. In 1920, he joined the Nazi Party (NSDAP). He quickly became a very important figure in the new party. In 1923, Strasser took part in the Beer Hall Putsch in Munich, which was a failed attempt to take over the government. He was sent to prison for this.
After being released early, Strasser was elected to the Reichstag (the German parliament). He rejoined the Nazi Party in 1925 and became a powerful member again. Strasser was a very good organizer and speaker. He helped the party grow a lot, especially in northern Germany. He changed the NSDAP from a small party in the south to a political force across the country. By mid-1932, Strasser was in charge of the party's national organization.
Strasser believed in a more radical side of the Nazi Party, focusing on social change. This led to disagreements with Hitler in 1926. They later made peace, but their differences grew again after 1930. In December 1932, the German Chancellor, Kurt von Schleicher, offered Strasser a high position in the government. This offer caused a big problem within the Nazi Party. Hitler then pushed Strasser out of all his party roles. Strasser left politics and went back to being a pharmacist. On June 30, 1934, during a violent event known as the Night of the Long Knives, Strasser was arrested and killed.
Contents
Early Life and Military Service
Gregor Strasser was born on May 31, 1892. His father was a Catholic legal officer in Geisenfeld, a town in Upper Bavaria. He grew up with his younger brother, Otto. Gregor studied to become a pharmacist from 1910 to 1914.
Fighting in World War I
When World War I began in 1914, Strasser stopped his studies at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich. He joined the German Imperial Army as a volunteer. He served in the 1st Bavarian Field Artillery Regiment. He became an Oberleutnant (first lieutenant). He won the Iron Cross twice for his brave actions. After the war, in 1918, he continued his studies. In 1919, he passed his state exam. By 1920, he was working as a pharmacist in Landshut.
Joining Paramilitary Groups
In 1919, Strasser and his brother joined a right-wing group called the Freikorps. This group was led by Franz Ritter von Epp. Their goal was to stop communism in Bavaria. Strasser formed and led his own group, the Sturmbataillon Niederbayern. A young Heinrich Himmler worked as his assistant. Strasser was known for being a large man with a strong personality and great organizing skills. In March 1920, Strasser's Freikorps was ready to join the Kapp Putsch, which was a failed attempt by right-wing groups to take over the government.
Political Career
Early Nazi Party Activities
By 1920, Strasser and his group joined Adolf Hitler's Nazi Party (NSDAP). This was another far-right political party based in Munich. In the autumn of 1922, Strasser officially became a member of the NSDAP and its paramilitary wing, the SA. Strasser's leadership skills were quickly noticed. He was made the regional head of the SA in Lower Bavaria.
In November 1923, Strasser took part in the Beer Hall Putsch. This was an unsuccessful attempt by Hitler and Ludendorff to overthrow the government. Strasser was arrested and charged with helping to commit treason. He was sentenced to 15 months in prison.
After only a few weeks, Strasser was released. This was because he had been elected to the Bavarian Landtag (state parliament) in May 1924. In December 1924, Strasser also won a seat in the Reichstag (national parliament). He represented the area of Westphalia North.
After the Nazi Party was re-established by Adolf Hitler in February 1925, Strasser became the first Gauleiter (regional leader) of Lower Bavaria. Because he had so many members to manage, he hired Heinrich Himmler as his assistant. In December 1926, Strasser's region merged with another. He led this larger region until October 1928.
Building the Nazi Party Nationally
After 1925, Strasser's organizing skills helped change the Nazi Party. It grew from a small group in southern Germany to a national party with many supporters. Hitler was not allowed to speak in public at this time, so Strasser was chosen to represent the party in northern Germany. Throughout 1925, Strasser used his free train passes as a member of the Reichstag. He traveled widely, setting up new party branches and giving many speeches. Even though he wasn't as powerful a speaker as Hitler, his strong personality impressed audiences.
His hard work helped the northern party greatly. By the end of 1925, there were about 272 local Nazi Party groups. Before the failed putsch, there had only been 71. Strasser helped the party become strong in northern and western Germany. He also started the party's foreign organization. He created the National Socialist Working Association in September 1925. This group supported the more "socialist" side of the party.
With his brother Otto, Strasser started a publishing company in Berlin in March 1926. This company published the Berliner Arbeiterzeitung (Berlin Workers Newspaper). This newspaper shared the "socialist" ideas of the party. Strasser hired Joseph Goebbels to manage the newspaper. Goebbels was interested in the Nazi Party's message and in Strasser himself.
Goebbels and Strasser worked on a new version of the Nazi Party's political plan in late 1925 and early 1926. This new plan was much more focused on socialist ideas, which angered Hitler. To discuss these changes, Hitler called a meeting in Bamberg in February 1926. Goebbels and Strasser went there hoping to convince Hitler of their new ideas. However, during his speech at the Bamberg Conference, Hitler strongly criticized their ideas. This shocked and disappointed Strasser and Goebbels. Hitler's strong speech showed that the party was now officially centered around him.
To calm the northern Nazi Party groups after the Bamberg meeting, Hitler made some changes. He put one of Strasser's key members, Franz Pfeffer von Salomon, in charge of the SA. More importantly, Hitler began to win over Goebbels, who was Strasser's main assistant. This move worked quickly. Hitler also made a deal with Strasser to close the National Socialist Working Association. He asked Strasser to take charge of the party's propaganda department. Strasser accepted this job. From September 1926 to January 1928, he was the national leader for propaganda (Reichspropagandaleiter). Strasser then left this role to become Chairman of the NSDAP Organizational Committee.
Between 1928 and 1932, Hitler gave Strasser control of the Nazi Party's national organization. Strasser was very good at this work, while Hitler preferred to focus on ideas. By June 1932, Strasser was named Reichsorganisationsleiter (National Organization Leader). He made the party's organization even more centralized. He changed the party's regional borders to match those of the Reichstag. He also gave more power to the Gauleiters. Strasser made the party a more organized group with strong ways to spread its message.
In the 1928 election, Strasser was one of the first 12 Nazi members elected to the Reichstag. The Nazi Party only got 2.6% of the national vote that year. But by September 1930, it became the second largest party, with 18.3% of the vote. Strasser's organizational work helped a lot with this success. By July 1932, the Nazis became the largest party, with 37.3% of the vote.
Disagreements with Hitler
The Great Depression hit Germany hard, causing a huge increase in unemployment by 1930. During this time, the Strasser brothers started a new daily newspaper in Berlin called the Nationaler Sozialist. This paper shared their ideas about Nazism, which included strong nationalism and social reform. Goebbels complained to Hitler about the Strasser newspapers, saying they were hurting his own papers in Berlin.
In April 1930, Hitler publicly stated that he disagreed with Gregor Strasser's extreme socialist ideas. He then appointed Goebbels as the national leader of Nazi Party propaganda. When Hitler visited Goebbels in May 1930, Goebbels banned the evening edition of the Nationaler Sozialist. Gregor Strasser then distanced himself from his brother and stopped being the publisher of the newspaper by June. His brother Otto left the party in July.
In August 1932, Hitler was offered the job of Vice-Chancellor of Germany. This offer came from Chancellor Franz von Papen and President Paul von Hindenburg. But Hitler refused it. Strasser urged him to join the government, but Hitler felt it would make him seem less important. While many close to Hitler saw his refusal as brave, Strasser was frustrated. He believed Hitler was wrong to wait only for the top job.
The disagreements between Strasser and Hitler grew. In December 1932, the new Chancellor, Kurt von Schleicher, talked with Strasser about becoming Vice-Chancellor. Schleicher hoped to divide the Nazi Party by getting Strasser's help. He wanted to pull the more left-leaning members of the party to his side to stop Hitler. Hitler was very angry about this. He demanded that Strasser refuse Schleicher's offer. Hitler confronted the Nazi members of the Reichstag who supported Strasser. He forced them to publicly support him and criticize Strasser. Strasser resigned from his party roles on December 8, 1932. This was just seven weeks before the Nazi Party gained full political power. Hitler temporarily took over Strasser's organizational role, later giving it to Robert Ley. In January 1933, Hitler publicly rejected Strasser for talking with Schleicher. In March 1933, Strasser officially left politics by giving up his Reichstag seat.
Later Life and Death
Life After Politics
After leaving his seat in the Reichstag, Strasser wanted to go back to being a pharmacist. With his own connections and Hitler's approval, he was given a job as a director at Schering-Kahlbaum. This was a chemical-pharmaceutical company in Berlin. He promised to stop all political activities, and he did. He stayed away from politics and refused to meet former political friends.
His Death
After gaining national power in January 1933, Hitler and the Nazi Party began to remove all opposition in Germany. From June 30 to July 2, 1934, a violent event known as the Night of the Long Knives took place. During this time, many leaders of the SA, along with some of Hitler's political opponents, were arrested and killed. This was done by members of the Schutzstaffel (SS) and Gestapo. Gregor Strasser was among those killed.
Historians believe Strasser was likely killed because he had been offered a position by the previous government. This made him a potential political enemy. Also, Heinrich Himmler and Hermann Göring disliked Strasser, and he had criticized them when he was a party leader. It is not known if Hitler personally ordered Strasser's death. Strasser was shot in his cell and died from his injuries. His brother Otto had left Germany in 1933.
See also
In Spanish: Gregor Strasser para niños
- Strasserism
- List of Nazi Party leaders and officials
