Editing German Workers' Party (section)

=== Adolf Hitler's membership ===
[[File:Hitler's DAP membership card.png|thumb|[[Adolf Hitler]]'s DAP card with the membership number 7 (altered from the original)]]
After [[World War I]] ended, [[Adolf Hitler]] returned to Munich. Having no formal education or career prospects, he tried to remain in the army for as long as possible.{{sfn|Kershaw|1999|p=109}} In July 1919, he was appointed ''Verbindungsmann'' (intelligence agent) of an ''Aufklärungskommando'' (reconnaissance commando) of the ''[[Reichswehr]]'' to influence other soldiers and to investigate the DAP. While Hitler was initially unimpressed by the meetings and found them disorganised, he enjoyed the discussion that took place.<ref>{{Cite episode| title= The Weimar Republic and the Rise of the Nazi Party | url= https://www.wondrium.com/a-history-of-hitlers-empire-2nd-edition|access-date=27 March 2023| series= A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition| first= Thomas| last= Childers| author-link= Thomas Childers| publisher= [[The Great Courses]] | date= 2001| number= 3 | time= 23:00–24:30| language= English}}</ref> During these investigations, Hitler became attracted to founder Anton Drexler's anti-Semitic, nationalist, [[Anti-capitalism|anti-capitalist]], and [[anti-Marxist]] ideas.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=82}} While attending a party meeting at the ''[[Sterneckerbräu]]'' beer hall on 12 September 1919, Hitler became involved in a heated political argument with a visitor, Professor [[Adalbert Baumann]], who questioned the soundness of [[Gottfried Feder]]'s arguments in support of [[Bavaria]]n separatism and against [[capitalism]].{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=75}} In vehemently attacking the man's arguments, he made an impression on the other party members with his oratory skills and, according to Hitler, Baumann left the hall acknowledging unequivocal defeat.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=75}} Impressed with Hitler's oratory skills, Drexler encouraged him to join. On the orders of his army superiors, Hitler applied to join the party.{{sfn|Evans|2003|p=170}} Although Hitler initially wanted to form his own party, he claimed to have been convinced to join the DAP because it was small and he could eventually become its leader.{{sfn|Kershaw|1999|p=126}} He consequently encouraged the organisation to become less of a debating society, which it had been previously, and more of an active political party.<ref>{{Cite episode| title= The Weimar Republic and the Rise of the Nazi Party | url= https://www.wondrium.com/a-history-of-hitlers-empire-2nd-edition|access-date=27 March 2023| series= A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition| first= Thomas| last= Childers| author-link= Thomas Childers| publisher= [[The Great Courses]] | date= 2001| number= 3 | time= 15:00–25:00| language= English}}</ref> 

In less than a week, Hitler received a postcard stating he had officially been accepted as a member and he should come to a committee meeting to discuss it. Hitler attended the committee meeting held at the run-down Altes Rosenbad beer-house.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=75, 76}} Normally, enlisted army personnel were not allowed to join political parties. In this case, Hitler had Captain [[Karl Mayr]]'s permission to join the DAP. Further, Hitler was allowed to stay in the army and receive his weekly pay of 20 gold marks.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|p=76}} Unlike many other members of the organisation, this continued employment provided him with enough money to dedicate himself more fully to the DAP.<ref>{{Cite episode| title= The Weimar Republic and the Rise of the Nazi Party | url= https://www.wondrium.com/a-history-of-hitlers-empire-2nd-edition|access-date=27 March 2023| series= A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition| first= Thomas| last= Childers| author-link= Thomas Childers| publisher= [[The Great Courses]] | date= 2001| number= 3 | time= 24:00–25:00| language= English}}</ref> At the time when Hitler joined the party, there were no membership numbers or cards. It was in January 1920 when a numeration was issued for the first time and listed in alphabetical order Hitler received the number 555. In reality, he had been the 55th member, but the counting started at the number 501 in order to make the party appear larger.{{sfn|Mitcham|1996|p=67}} In his work ''[[Mein Kampf]]'', Hitler later claimed to be the seventh party member, but he was in fact the seventh executive member of the party's central committee.<ref>Werner Maser, Der Sturm auf die Republik – Frühgeschichte der NSDAP, ECON Verlag, Düsseldorf, Vienna, New York, Moscow, Special Edition 1994, {{ISBN|3-430-16373-0}}.</ref> 

During 1919, the DAP set out an explicit program of being nationalistic, anti-Semitic, and anti-Marxist.<ref name="Childers DAP 2">{{Cite episode| title= The Weimar Republic and the Rise of the Nazi Party | url= https://www.wondrium.com/a-history-of-hitlers-empire-2nd-edition|access-date=27 March 2023| series= A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition| first= Thomas| last= Childers| author-link= Thomas Childers| publisher= [[The Great Courses]] | date= 2001| number= 3 | time= 26:00–31:04| language= English}}</ref> Unlike other similar nationalist parties at the time, the DAP aimed its rhetoric towards working class Germans, hoping to cross class boundaries and recruit them.<ref name="Childers DAP 2" /> However, Hitler explicitly rejected the Marxist idea of [[dictatorship of the proletariat]], and instead attempted to appeal to the working class to create a "V''olksgemeinschaft''" (people's community), where German identity took precedence over class, religion, or other ideas.<ref name="Childers DAP 2" />

After giving his first speech for the DAP on 16 October at the ''[[Hofbräukeller]]'', Hitler quickly became the party's most active orator. Hitler's considerable oratory and propaganda skills were appreciated by the party leadership as crowds began to flock to hear his speeches during 1919–1920. Such was the popularity of Hitler's speaking skills, the party began charging an entry fee for visitors to hear his speeches.<ref>{{Cite episode| title= The Weimar Republic and the Rise of the Nazi Party | url= https://www.wondrium.com/a-history-of-hitlers-empire-2nd-edition|access-date=27 March 2023| series= A History of Hitler's Empire, 2nd Edition| first= Thomas| last= Childers| author-link= Thomas Childers| publisher= [[The Great Courses]] | date= 2001| number= 3 | time= 26:00–27:00| language= English}}</ref> With the support of Drexler, Hitler became chief of propaganda for the party in early 1920. Hitler preferred that role as he saw himself as the drummer for a national cause. He saw propaganda as the way to bring nationalism to the public.{{sfn|Kershaw|2008|pp=81, 84, 85, 89, 96}}