Gregor Strasser was the leader of the left wing of the Nazi party and Hitler's most dangerous rival in the early days of the movement. While he was as racist and anti-Semitic as his adversaries, he opposed some of Hilter's economic and political policies and left the party. He was arrested and murdered on Hitler's orders in June 1934.
1892-1934 Gregor Strasser was born at Geisenfeld on 31t May, 1892. He joined the German Army and during the First World War won the IC for bravery.
Strasser was a member of the Freikorps before joining the National Socialist German Workers Party (NSDAP).His adjutant was the young Heinrich Himmler.
He took part in the Beer Hall Putsch and after its failure was briefly imprisoned.
After his release he moved to North Germany where he quickly became one of the most important figures in Sturm Abteilung (SA). He developed a large following and became leader of the revolutionary wing of the NSDAP.
During Hitler's imprisonment, Strasser's indefatigable organizational talents enabled the Nazis for the first time to make headway in northern Germany and to find an organization independent from Munich headquarters. Together with his brother, Otto Strasser, he founded a weekly newspaper, the Berliner Arbeiterzeitung (Berlin Workers' Paper), the fortnightly Nazi newsletter, NS - Briefe, for which he hired the young Joseph Goebbels as editor, and his own independent party press, the Kampfverlag.
Strasser was a committed socialist who, like Ernst Roehm, opposed Hitler's policy of trying to win the support of the country's major industrialists. His outspoken views caused a deep rift with Hitler and other leaders of the party.
In 1926, he opposed Hitler's proposals concerning a plebiscite about grants to deposed princes, and, at the Bamberg Party Congress in the same year, the Strasser Brothers argued that Nazism must devote itself to the destruction of capitalism, to social justice and the nationalization of the economy. Until his death, Gregor Strasser was to insist on the expropriation of the banks and heavy industry and to oppose Hitler's alliance with the Junker nationalists, with the reactionary army leadership and conservative politicians like Hugenberg, von Papen and Schacht. Strasser's proletarian anti - capitalism was, however, primarily a means to an end - to the establishing of an organic, volkisch community and of a new social order which he called "State feudalism' where the industrial estate would be at the top of the heap. His eclectic socialist programme, which also advocated an alliance with Bolshevik Russia and the anti - imperialist East against the western democracies, essentially aimed at precipitating the downfall of the existing social order.
Between 1926 and 1932, Strasser was Reich Propaganda Leader of the NSDAP, and in June 1932, Hitler made him Reichsorganisationsleiter of the Party. The rift between them grew, however, when on 7 December 1932 the new Chancellor, General von Schleicher, offered Strasser the post of Vice - Chancellor and Prime Minister of Prussia.
Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering challenged the move claiming it was an attempt to create a split in the NSDAP. In order to maintain party unity Strasser resigned all party positions and found work in a large chemical firm.
On 30th June 1934 Strasser was arrested by the Gestapo as part of the Night of the Long Knives operation. He was taken to Gestapo Headquarters where he was shot in the back of the head.
His death and that of the SA leader, Ernst Rohm, symbolized the destruction of the Nazi wing, and the vague hopes for second revolution in the direction of socialism.
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Ernst Hanfstaengel, Hitler: The Missing Years (1957)
Hitler was deeply jealous of Gregor Strasser. He was the one potential indeed actual rival within the party. He had made the Rhineland his fief. I remember during one tour through the Ruhr towns seeing Strasser's name plastered up against the wall of every railway underpass. He was obviously quite a figure in the land. Hitler looked away. There was no comment about "Strasser seems to be doing well", or any approving sign.
November brought Reichstag elections again, but in spite of a frenzied campaign, the Nazis lost ground. Their representation was reduced to 196, and it was at this point that Schleicher became Chancellor, to exercise the power he had so long controlled from the wings. His plan was to split off the Strasser wing of the Nazi Party in a final effort to find a majority with the Weimar Socialists and Centre. The idea was by no means so ill-conceived and amidst the momentary demoralization and monetary confusion in the Nazi ranks, very nearly came off. With the failure came the final break between Hitler and Strasser, who, two years later, paid for this disloyalty with his head.
On 9th December, 1932, Gregor Strasser talked to his old friend Dr. Martin, about Adolf Hitler, Ernst Roehm and Joseph Goebbels.
Dr. Martin, I am a man marked by death. We shall not be able to go on seeing each other for long and in your own interests I suggest you do not come here any more. Whatever happens, mark what I say: From now on Germany is in the hands of an Austrian who is a congenital liar, a former officer who is a pervert, and a clubfoot. And I tell you the last is the worst of them all. This is Satan in human form.
http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/GERstrasser.htm
http://motlc.wiesenthal.com/text/x28/xm2866.html
