At the Bamberg Conference, Hitler managed to dominate proceedings and turned what should have been an open debate, into a five-hour monologue. He challenged Strasser’s views and begged the delegates not to ‘trample on the memory of the Nat ional Socialist dead’. He managed to find enough common ground to bring the two sides together and eventually won the day. Even so, deep differences remained and the conflict between the nationalists and socialists with the Party was far from settled.
Slowly Hitler began to recover lost ground and by mid 1926 he was once again in control of the Party. Still, in spite of all his efforts, Party membership had fallen to only 35, 000 and there was no rush of new recruits. Nazis were also finding it difficult to compete with the SPD and KPD in the industrial areas. The reformed Party’s first real trial of strength was to come in 1928 with the Reichstag election.
Hitler planned a new framework for the Nazi Party. For reasons of organisation, Germany was to be split into Gaue, or regions. Each Gau had a leader chosen for his commitment and enthusiasm for Nazi politics. This plan worked as it allowed, Joseph Goebbels, the Gauleiter of Berlin, to rise to the highest ranks in the Party. In 1929 the Gaue was reorganised to correspond with the established 35 Reichstag electoral districts.
To enforce discipline, the Party leader used a system of courts, Uschla, and when necessary, leaders were replaced and members expelled. By 1929 the NSDAP was a well-run political party based on a sound nationwide structure.
Q1) the situation the Nazi Party was in, on Hitler’s release.
Quite a bad state. Rosenberg, the stopgap leader had allowed the Party to disintegrate into factions which were always arguing. A lot of the Party’s supporters had abandoned the Party and the Nazi Party no longer held credibility and lost its fearsome image. Julius Streicher had formed a nationalist-racist party in Bavaria, while, in Northern Germany, Gregor Strasser led a newly formed National Socialist Freedom Party. This caused problems and conflict within the Party.
Q2) the Bamberg Conference in 1926
The aim of the conference was to restore a little party unity and agree a future programme. He stage-managed proceedings and put pressure on Strasser’s delegates to come into line. Bamberg was chosen as the location because it was the centre of a strongly nationalistic region of Germany where most local people who would attend would be sympathetic to Hitler’s views. Hitler dominated the conference and had a five-hour long monologue. He challenged Strasser and pleaded with the delegates. He found enough common ground to bring the two sides together and eventually won the day. However, deep differences remained and the conflict between the nationalists and socialists within the Party was far from settled.
Q3) the re-organisation of the Nazi Party
Because Hitler believed that the Republic’s newfound stability would not last, he made plans to make sure that his Party would be in a position to exploit the situation once circumstances changed in his favour. He planned a new framework for the Nazi Party. This meant Germany was to be divided into Gaue, or regions. Each Gau had a leader, a Gauleiter. The leader would be chosen for his commitment and enthusiasm. It was a success, because it helped Joseph Goebbels, the Gauleiter of Berlin, to rise to the highest ranks in the Party. Each Gau was subdivided into areas called Kreise, meaning districts. Each Kreise was then divided into even smaller units, called Ortsgruppen. Later cities and towns were divided into districts known as Zellen and groups of houses and flats, called Blocks. Though various units had some limited freedom in their own areas, Hitler controlled the structure. There were still conflicts within the Party though. So a Party leader used a system on courts to enforce discipline.
