Reorganization of the Nazi Party
The Nazi party went through multiple reorganizations so that they could be relevant and be ready for the moment when they would be able to fully control Germany. Hitler first realised this when his rebellion, the 1923 Beer Hall Putsch, failed and he was imprisoned. Hitler had to re-evaluate his strategy, the Nazis could never achieve their goals by using violence on the Weimar Republic. So they had to work from within the the government, through legal means. Hitler had to transform the Nazi party into a massive political party that would compete for votes and support in Germany.
Source adapted: Spielvogel, J. J. (1992). Hitler and Nazi Germany.
Increasing Party membership
Hitler established local Nazi parties around Germany, making smaller branches to make it easier for recruiting new members from all over Germany. This greatly increased the membership as the Party was brought closer to the people.
Hitler created a youth organization, Hitler Youth, in 1920s and was able to recruit 100,000 members by 1933. From the 1920s onwards, the Nazi Party targeted German youth as a special audience for its propaganda messages. These messages emphasized that the Party was a movement of youth: dynamic, resilient, forward-looking, and hopeful. Millions of German young people were won over to Nazism in the classroom and through extracurricular activities. Look at the pictures below for examples.
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Establishing the SA & SS
The SA (Sturmabteilung/Stormtroopers)
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Established in 1921 (Brownshirts.)
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Utilizes violent intimidation as a tactic.
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Used as a military force to break up Communists Party meetings, gaining support of anti-communist.
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Broke up strikes, making Germany more productive for business owners hence gaining support of the middle class.
The SS (Schutz-staffel/ Defence Corps)
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Established in 1925 (Blackshirts).
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Set up as Hitler's elite personal forces.
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After 1934, became the private army of Hitler.
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Used as instruments to incite terror into anyone going against Hitler.
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Overshadowed the SA and became the group in charge of internal security.
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Elite force, membership restricted to pure Aryans
Nazi Propaganda
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In 1933, the year Adolf Hitler (1889-1945) became chancellor of Germany, he named Joseph Goebbels (1897-1945), his trusted friend and colleague, to the key post of minister for public enlightenment and propaganda.
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Deliberately appealed to people's emotions rather than their brain.
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Portrayed Nazis as a strong party that could give them whatever they wanted. (Refer to picture on the right)
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Portrayed Jews negatively as a common enemy. (Refer to picture on the far right)
'Your Own KdF-Car' poster, 1939
The poster for the 'Eternal Jews' exhibition, 1937