Began as the German Worker's Party led by Anton Drexler
In 1919, Hitler joined after finishing in the army
Drexler realised his talent and appointed him head of propaganda and the party's political ideas
1920 - the party announces its Twenty-Five Point Programme
1921 - Hitler becomes the new leader of the party
Hitler renames the party the National Socialist German Worker's Party (NSDAP) - Nazi Party for short
Set up a new private army called the Sturmabteiling (SA)
The SA, also known as the Brownshirts, were to protect Hitler and disrupt other party meetings
The party would meet in beer houses
Hitler attracted attention with powerful speeches and rants about the Treaty of Versailles