When he returned to Munich after the war he was employed by the army to spy on extremist political parties. One of the parties he spied on was called the German workers party. While attending one of their meetings, Hitler found that he agreed with many of their policies, one of which was anti-Semitism.
In 1921, Hitler organized his own private army called the Sturm-Abteilung or the SA. The SA mainly consisted of young men. They were supposedly to protect speakers at Nazi party meetings. By 1922 Hitler was the undisputed leader of the Nazi party. He was a great speaker, and often at his rallies people would go wild with enthusiasm.
Hitler’s Henchmen
Hitler had 5 main henchmen.
Josef Goebbels was the son of a factory worker and was not able to participate in World War 1 because his foot had been crippled. He was intelligent and a brilliant public speaker. He was the editor of the Nazi newspaper.
Hermann Goering was a First World War veteran who won several medals for his bravery. He was intelligent witty and charming man. He joined the Nazi party in 1922 and later he was put in charge of the SA.
Rudolph Hess was a soldier and a pilot during World War 1. He did not crave power like the others did. He worshipped Hitler. For some time he was Hitler’s private secretary but later he became responsible for party administration.
Heinrich Himmler had fought briefly in World War 1. He was hardworking and precise. He joined the party in 1923 and was regional party chief.
Ernest Rohm was a captain in the army during World War 1. He was a brutal and efficient leader. He worked in the Freikorps for a short time. He was a founder member of the German workers party.
Nazi Growth
Although the Nazi party was predominantly based in Munich, Hitler’s reputation had spread throughout Germany. To help this, the Nazis published their newspaper. Between 1920 and 1923, the Nazis gathered more support among other extremist and nationalist parties. By 1922 the Nazi party had over 5000 members!
By Rishi Sankar Lee 10
