German Workers Party

<p >The <b>German Workers' Party</b> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language" title="German language" >German</a>: <i>Deutsche Arbeiterpartei</i>, <b>DAP</b>) was the short-lived predecessor of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi_Party" title="Nazi Party" >Nazi Party</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_language" title="German language" >German</a>: <i>Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei</i>, NSDAP).

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<h2 >Contents</h2>

  [<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#" id="togglelink" >hide</a>] </div>

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<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-1" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#Origins" >1 Origins</a>

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<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-2" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#Adolf_Hitler.27s_membership" >1.1 Adolf Hitler's membership</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-2 tocsection-3" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#From_DAP_to_NSDAP" >1.2 From DAP to NSDAP</a></li>

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<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-4" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#Membership" >2 Membership</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-5" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#Notes" >3 Notes</a></li>

<li class="toclevel-1 tocsection-6" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#References" >4 References</a></li>

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<h2 >Origins[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_Workers%27_Party&action=edit&section=1" title="Edit section: Origins" >edit</a>]</h2>

<p >The DAP was founded in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich" title="Munich" >Munich</a> in the hotel "Fürstenfelder Hof" on January 5, 1919 by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Drexler" title="Anton Drexler" >Anton Drexler</a>. It developed out of the <i>Freier Arbeiterausschuss für einen guten Frieden</i> (Free Workers' Committee for a good Peace) league, a branch of which Drexler had founded in 1918.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882_1-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882-1" >[1]</a></sup> Thereafter in 1918, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Harrer" title="Karl Harrer" >Karl Harrer</a> (a journalist and member of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thule_Society" title="Thule Society" >Thule Society</a>), along with Drexler and several others formed the <i>Politischer Arbeiterzirkel</i> (Political Workers' Circle), as well.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882_1-1" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882-1" >[1]</a></sup> The members met periodically for discussions with themes of nationalism and racism directed against the Jews.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882_1-2" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882-1" >[1]</a></sup> Drexler was encouraged to form the DAP in December 1918 by his mentor, Dr. Paul Tafel. Tafel was a leader of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alldeutscher_Verband" title="Alldeutscher Verband" class="mw-redirect" >Alldeutscher Verband</a> (<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pan-Germanism" title="Pan-Germanism" >Pan-Germanist</a> Union), a director of the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/MAN_SE" title="MAN SE" >Maschinenfabrik Augsburg-Nürnberg</a>, and a member of the Thule Society. Drexler's wish was for a political party which was both in touch with the masses and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nationalist" title="Nationalist" class="mw-redirect" >nationalist</a>. In January 1919 with the DAP founding, Drexler was elected chairman and Harrer was made "Reich Chairman", an honorary title.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882.2C_83_2-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKershaw200882.2C_83-2" >[2]</a></sup> On May 17, only ten members were present at the meeting; a later meeting in August only noted 38 members attending.<sup id="cite_ref-FOOTNOTEKershaw200883_3-0" class="reference" ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_Workers%27_Party#cite_note-FOOTNOTEKershaw200883-3" >[3]</a></sup>

<h2 >Membership[<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=German_Workers%27_Party&action=edit&section=4" title="Edit section: Membership" >edit</a>]</h2>

<p >Hitler was an early member of the party; the following are well-known early members:</p>

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<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_Boepple" title="Ernst Boepple" >Ernst Boepple</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_Drexler" title="Anton Drexler" >Anton Drexler</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Eckart" title="Dietrich Eckart" >Dietrich Eckart</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gottfried_Feder" title="Gottfried Feder" >Gottfried Feder</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hans_Frank" title="Hans Frank" >Hans Frank</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Karl_Harrer" title="Karl Harrer" >Karl Harrer</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernst_R%C3%B6hm" title="Ernst Röhm" >Ernst Röhm</a></li>

<li ><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfred_Rosenberg" title="Alfred Rosenberg" >Alfred Rosenberg</a></li>

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German Workers Party

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