Hitler, who had for years been ignoredwhen he made political speeches, now had a captive audience. The politicalclimate had also changed. Germanywas a defeated and disillusioned country. At Versailles the German government had beenforced to sign a peace
treaty that gave away 13% of her territory. This meantthe loss of 6 million people, a large percentage of her raw materials (65% ofiron ore reserves, 45% of her coal, 72% of her zinc) and 10% of her factories. Germany alsolost all her overseas colonies. Under the terms of the Versailles Treaty Germany alsohad to pay for damage caused by the war. These reparations amounted to 38% ofher national wealth. Hitler was no longer isolated. The Germansoldiers who attended his lectures shared his sense of failure. They found hismessage that they were not to blame attractive. He told them that Germany had notbeen beaten on the battlefield but had been betrayed by Jews and Marxists whohad preached revolution and undermined the
war effort. The German Army also began using Hitleras a spy. In September 1919, he was instructed to attend a meeting of the GermanWorker's
Party (GWP). The army feared that this new party, led by Anton Drexler,might be advocating communist revolution. Hitler discovered that the party'spolitical ideas were similar to his own. He approved of Drexler's Germannationalism and anti-Semitism but was unimpressed with the way the party wasorganized. Although there as a spy, Hitler could not restrain himself when amember made a point he disagreed with, and he stood up and made a passionatespeech on the subject.Drexler was impressed with Hitler'sabilities as an orator and invited him to
join the party. At first Hitler wasreluctant, but urged on by his commanding officer, Captain Karl Mayr, heeventually agreed. He was only the fifty-fourth person to join the GWP. Hitlerwas immediately asked to join the executive committee and was later appointedthe party's propaganda manager.
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