I This dissertation has been microfilmed exactly as received 66—14,650 DIXON, Joseph Murdock, 1932- GREGOR STRASSER AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NAZI PARTY, 1925-32. Stanford University, Ph.D., 1966 History, modem University Microfilms, Inc.,Ann Arbor, Michigan Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. GREGOR STRASSER AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE NAZI PARTY, 1925-32 A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE DEPARTMENT OF HISTORY AND THE COMMITTEE ON THE GRADUATE DIVISION OF STANFORD UNIVERSITY IN PARTIAL FULFILLMENT OF THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY By Joseph Murdock Dixon June 1966 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. I certify that I have read this thesis and that in my opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. cfY'<?L(rr< / A , . C. I certify that I have read this thesis and that in my opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree - ™ ™ •’ 7 I certify that I have read this thesis and that in my opinion it is fully adequate, in scope and quality, as a dissertation for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy. Approved for the University Committee on the Graduate Division: /r. Dean of/theo 7 Graduate Division ii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. TABLE OF CONTENTS Section Page I. GREGOR STRASSER AND THE NSDAP PRIOR TO 1925 . 1 II. THE NORTHERN ORGANIZATION PRIOR TO STRASSER . 45 HI. GREGOR STRASSER IN NORTH GERMANY............................ 71 IV. THE ARBEITSGEMEINSCHAFT NORTH W EST....................... 96 V. STRASSER AS REICHSORGANISATIONSLEITER...................... 129 VI. STRASSER'S ROLE IN 1932 176 Vn. EPILOGUE ......................................................................... 218 Vm. CONCLUSIONS............................................................................ 227 APPENDIX ........................................................................................... 2-32 BIBLIOGRAPHY ................................................................................236 iii Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. t / ' - J - 'S O ^ v ^ Ji%»w^"-.. ;..;.■ , V;- ' '»* Spite :® S|SiPfSj r 1 - • • - . •'>>'. ■■■.■*•-**■■■■ ■ ■ ---■■v’sm^,,...■ 1 ■. j >- ■■ '. 1 v\v'.. '•.- -«•?* . ••■••" •• ■ - • . • ! • - -I---■•■■■■■■' Gregor Strasser at Platting, Lower Bavaria, September 9, 1926. (Sixth from right) iv Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AG Arbeitsgemeinschaft—working association. AGNW Arbeitsgemeinschaft der Nordwest Deutschen Gauleiter—working association of the North West German Gauleiter. Bundesarchiv German national archives located at Koblenz. DAF Deutsche Arbeiterfront—German Labor Front. Hauptarchiv Main archives of the NSDAP Hann. Hannover—Archives of Lower S axon y located at Hanover. IFZG Institut fur Zeitgeschichte located at Munich. NS Nationaisozialistische—National Socialist. NS Briefe Nationalsozialistische Briefe—National Socialist Letters. NSBO Nationalsozialistische Betriebszellenorganisation— National Socialist Factory Cells. NSD A P/NAZI Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiters Partei— National Socialist German Workers Pary. NSDAV Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeitersverein— National Socialist German Workers Association. NSFP Nationalsozialistische Fre'iheitspartei ‘—National Socialist Freedom Party. SA Sturmabteilung—Storm Section, Storm Troops. SS Schutzstaffel—Protection Corps, elite guard. USchlA Untersuchungs und Schlichtungsausschuss—Office for arbitration for the liquidation of conflicts within the Parly. VB Volkischer Beobachter. v Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. S E C T IO N I GREGOR STRASSER AND THE NSDAP PRIOR TO 1925 Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. Gregor Strasser, the most significant organizer of the Nazi Party from 1928 to 1932, was born on May 31, 1892, in the sm all Bavarian town of Geisenfeld. * As an intensely active political worker he assisted in the devel­ opment of the National Socialist German Workers Party and witnessed its growth from a minuscule group of right-wing political agitators to a full- fledged authoritarian party. Strasser, who devoted eleven years to the party, and who helped build it into the monolithic structure which it became, fell by the wayside, ironically, just prior to Hitler's assumption of power. As late as December 7, 1932, Strasser ranked as number two man, after Adolf Hitler, in the party hierarchy. However, by January 30, 1933, when Hitler became Chancellor of Germany, Strasser was not more than a simple party member who had, by a mere fifty-two days, missed his opportunity of becom­ ing one of Germany's rulers. Physically Gregor Strasser was a large, powerful man, endowed with a penchant for hard work. He was one who would undertake any task, no matter how difficult, and devote his entire energy to it until he had com­ pleted it satisfactorily. There is no question concerning Gregor Strasser's o ability to organize, but one can rightly doubt his ability as a politician. His ^Bernard Strasser, O. S. B. , Gregor and Otto Strasser. Privately published memorial, n. d ., p. 1. 2 Alan Bullock, Hitler: A Study in Tyranny. (New York: Bantam Books, 1961), p. 254. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. political career was marked by devoted, exhaustive work rather than any brilliant coups. One can on the contrary, state with assurance that Gregor Strasser made mistakes, which undoubtedly contributed to bringing about his murder. Still, whatever he lacked in brilliance as a politician he com­ pensated for by his sustained effort in the Party’s behalf. At least up to his withdrawal from active politics, Strasser was one of the most popular_ . speakers in the entire Nazi movement.3 For most of his adult life Gregor Strasser was an avowed Nazi, and although he hated, and was hated by, many of those in Hitler's immediate entourage, he usually had an excellent relationship with Hitler himself. There were times when he appeared to be not only Hitler's devoted servant but also his friend. One need only mention the occasion when Strasser spent much time comforting Hitler after the suicide of his niece Geli Raubel. Ac­ cording to some sources Gregor actually prevented Hitler, at that time, from taking hife own life.4 Yet on other occasions Strasser and Hitler seemed to be at loggerheads concerning policy. Often Strasser represented what would be considered the left wing of the Party, and in many instances he questioned 3 In reading through his speeches, however, one sees the definite influ­ ence of his brother Otto on Gregor's thought, and generally speaking one can say that Gregor was not the intellectual equal of Otto Strasser. O Otto Strasser, Hitler and I. (London; Jonathan Cape, 1940), pp. 201 - 02 . Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. 4 the wisdom of Hitler's decisions. In 1932 he felt that Hitler was bypassing him in favor of Goebbels and Goring, a development which he considered 5 intolerable. Finally, completely disappointed and disillusioned, he resigned from all his offices in the party and returned to its ranks. Strasser's association with the Nazis began very early in the 1920's- - g probably in 1921, though his brother Otto has stated that it was in 1920. At that time Gregor had gone to a political rally and was deeply impressed by the ideas and emotional intensity of the main speaker-^Adolf Hitler. Here, Strasser felt, in this leader of the infant Nazi party, was a solution to the whole German problem. True, the Nazis were just getting on their feet. Nationally they were of no significance. But in strife-torn Bavaria they had begun to make a difference, and Strasser had been looking for something similar to what Hitler promised. Strasser had, after all, served loyally in the German army during the First World War, fought for a cause in which he believed, and attained the rank of Lieutenant in the First Bavarian Foot 7 Artillery regiment. The easy-going Bavarian had proved to be a good soldier: he could follow orders; he could lead men; he was brave; and he was thoroughly devoted to the German cause. After the cessation of hostilities 5 ii Alfred Rosenberg, Letzte Aufzeichnungen (Gottingen: Plesse Verlag, 1955), p. 146. 6Ibid, ^Bernard Strasser, p. 3. Reproduced with permission of the copyright owner. Further reproduction prohibited without permission. he was rewarded for his service to his country with the iron First Class and Q several other decorations. But his return to civilian life marked a difficult time in his career. He had to cope with the usual problems accompanying release from military service: the resumption of the old life, being an ordinary civilian once again. Strasser also picked up the threads of his study of pharmacology, given up when he left the university in 1915 to join the army. Two of his brothers had also fought in the army, and both had been wounded. Paul, the younger, had decided to become a priest, and after the war was accepted into the Benedictine order as Father Bernard. Otto