Nepedia
Back to Discover
Advanced Reader
📖

Nazi Party

society Maturity 13-18 war conflict social justice politics Next article →

This article covers sensitive topics: war_conflict, social_justice, politics. Parents can manage visibility in Parental Controls.

The Nazi Party, officially known as the National Socialist German Workers' Party (NSDAP), was a far-right political party in Germany. It was active from 1920 until 1945. The party developed a specific set of beliefs called Nazism. This ideology was built on extreme nationalism and racism. The party aimed to transform German society into a unified state.

NSDAP-Logo
NSDAP-Logo

The party's ideology centered on the concept of a "people's community." This idea sought to unite Germans who were considered "racially desirable." The Nazis believed in the existence of an "Aryan master race." They wanted to strengthen this group through racial purity and eugenics. Eugenics is the study of how to improve a population through controlled breeding. To achieve this, the party demanded that individual rights be sacrificed for the state. They believed the needs of the collective were more important than the rights of one person.

Nazism was defined by its intense opposition to certain groups. The party was strongly anti-Marxist and anti-communist. They also used antisemitic themes to target Jewish people. The party sought to exclude political dissidents and those they deemed physically or intellectually inferior. They also targeted Romani people, Slavs, and homosexuals. Other groups, such as Jehovah's Witnesses, were also persecuted. This persecution led to the Holocaust. This was an industrial system of genocide. It resulted in the mass murder of approximately 6 million Jews and millions of other victims.

The party began as a very small organization. In 1919, Anton Drexler formed the German Workers' Party (DAP). Drexler was a locksmith and a German nationalist. He wanted to create a movement that combined nationalism with economic socialism. He hoped to draw workers away from communism. The DAP was originally a small group with fewer than 60 members. In 1919, a soldier named Adolf Hitler attended a DAP meeting in Munich. He was serving as an intelligence agent for the army. Hitler was impressed by the discussions and joined the party.

Hitler's DAP membership card
Hitler's DAP membership card

Adolf Hitler became the leader of the party in 1921. He used his speaking skills to grow the movement. The party changed its name from the DAP to the NSDAP to attract more supporters. The word "Socialist" was meant to appeal to the left. The words "National" and "German" were meant to appeal to the right. Initially, the party used socialist rhetoric to win over the lower middle class. Later, they shifted their focus to gain support from business leaders.

Refoundation
Refoundation

Economic hardship helped the party gain widespread power. Before the 1930s, the party had very little popular support. However, the Great Depression changed everything. Worsening living standards and high unemployment drove many Germans toward political extremism. On January 30, 1933, President Paul von Hindenburg appointed Hitler as Chancellor. Hitler quickly seized total control of the government. He established a totalitarian regime known as the Third Reich. In this system, the state holds absolute authority over all aspects of life.

1930-election
1930-election

After Germany was defeated in World War II, the Nazi Party was declared illegal. The Allied powers began a process called denazification. This was an attempt to remove Nazi influence from German society. Several high-ranking leaders were brought to trial in the Nuremberg trials. These leaders were found guilty of crimes against humanity. Many were executed for their actions. Today, using Nazi symbols is still against the law in many European countries, including Germany and Austria.

Bundesarchiv Bild 119-1486, Hitler-Putsch, München, Marienplatz
Bundesarchiv Bild 119-1486, Hitler-Putsch, München, Marienplatz
564 words

Where will your curiosity go next?

Keep exploring at your chosen reading level.

🖼️ Images & Media (19)
Horst Wessel-Lied Instrumental.mp3
File:NSDAP-Logo.svg
NSDAP-Logo.svg
File:Nsdap01.jpg
Nsdap01.jpg
File:Hitler's DAP membership card.png
Hitler's DAP membership card.png
File:Erstausgabe von Mein Kampf.jpg
Erstausgabe von Mein Kampf.jpg
File:Bundesarchiv_Bild_119-1486,_Hitler-Putsch,_München,_Marienplatz.jpg
Bundesarchiv_Bild_119-1486,_Hitler-Putsch,...
File:Refoundation.jpg
Refoundation.jpg
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 119-0289, München, Hitler bei Einweihung "Braunes Haus".jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 119-0289, München,...
File:1930-election.jpg
1930-election.jpg
File:The Day AP article on alleged Nazi Party caused riots.jpg
The Day AP article on alleged Nazi Party...
File:Wahl zum Preussischen Landtag, NSDAP-Wahlspendenmedaille 1932.jpg
Wahl zum Preussischen Landtag,...
File:Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1982-159-21A, Nürnberg, Reichsparteitag, Hitler und Röhm.jpg
Bundesarchiv Bild 146-1982-159-21A,...

+ 7 more

More to explore

🔬 Go deeper

More advanced topics to explore

🪜 Step back

Simpler topics to build understanding

What is Nepedia?

A free, ad-free encyclopedia for children. Every article is written at five reading levels, so the same page works for a five-year-old and a fifteen-year-old — use the level switcher above to see this one change. No account needed to read.