Origins of the Nazi PartyThe Nazi Party was founded in January 1919 by Anton Drexler. It was originally called the German Workers' Party (DAP). Hitler joined in the fall of 1919. He soon became the party leader. The party was transformed by Hitler and became a political party rather than the discussion group it was when he joined. The SA (Brown Shirts) were formed to protect Hitler and other party leaders at meetings. He also interrupted meetings of political opponents of the Nazis. Appeal of the Nazi Party The SA military uniform appealed to many former soldiers. The aggressive rebuke of the Weimar leadership for signing the Treaty of Versailles appealed to the disaffected and former soldiers. The party's use of force and strict discipline attracted those who desired a return to the old militaristic regime that had preceded the First World War. Munich Putsch The party attempted to take control of the government by force. This failed as the Nazis did not enjoy widespread support at the time. The government was able to control the military and the police. Hitler was imprisoned following the Putsch (revolt). In prison Hitler thought about the methods he had used to try to take control. He realized that the Nazis would have to use legitimate electoral means to assume power and that his party's appeal would have to be widespread to achieve this goal. As a result he wrote “Meine Kampf”. This book outlines Hitler's beliefs. After being released from prison, Hitler began to reorganize the party. The SS (Blackshirts) were introduced as his personal bodyguard: they later became a much larger organization with many functions. People were employed within the party to work on strategy and the implementation of an aggressive advertising (propaganda) campaign. This included Goebbels. The election campaign and rise to chancellorship The rise of the Nazi can be linked to the economic problems faced by Germany. They offered radical solutions to the economic crisis. Ignoring the Treaty of Versailles and protecting the country from communism appealed to a wide range of people. Other policies included, but were not limited to: public works, anti-Semitism, reorganization of the workforce (workers), redistribution of wealth (welfare policies, such as helping the needy). Economic policy was centered on large businesses and the manufacturing sector. Most policies were populist (attractive to many people). The policies were publicized on the radio, at rallies, through leaflet distribution, and through displays of force.