Adolf Hitler knew the impact of image and personally approved any photograph or painting of him that was released to the public. Hitler struck a triumphant and noble pose for this 1941 portrait by painter Otto von Kursell.

Herman Goebbels, who would become Adolf Hitler's propaganda minister, revealed the Nazi political agenda in this 1928 note. Hitler had learned from a failed 1923 coup that the best way for him to seize power in Germany was to penetrate legitimate political institutions and then subvert them to his ends. This is precisely what Hitler and his Nazi Party did.

Hitler was born in Austria. As a teenager living in Vienna, he absorbed the anti-Semitic and pan-German teachings of Georg von Schonerer. During World War I he fought for the Bavarian Army, twice receiving the Iron Cross for bravery. Hitler felt cheated by the Versailles Treaty, which he blamed on Jews and Marxists, the "November criminals." In 1920, he and other embittered German nationalists helped to found the National Socialist German Worker's (Nazi) Party.

The Nazis' 1923 attempt to overthrow the Bavarian government in Munich — the so-called "beer hall putsch," — ended in Hitler's imprisonment. From his cell he wrote what would become the Nazi bible, Mein Kampf (My Struggle), which detailed his virulent anti-Semitism and imperialistic agenda. "Cleansing" Germany of Jews and overturning the Versailles Treaty, he argued, would make Germany into a "world power" again. After nine months in prison, Hitler sought to put his beliefs into action.

One of many examples of Nazi propaganda, this poster encourages German citizens to give to the Nazi Party so that it may help German youth.

A 1927 German government report called the Nazi party (NDSAP) "a numerically insignificant radical, revolutionary splinter group that is incapable of exerting any noticeable influence on the great mass of the population or on the course of political developments." In the May 1928 Reichstag (Parliament) election, Nazis won only 2.6% of the national vote. But desperation rose with the impact of the Great Depression, and four years later they captured 37.3% of the national vote, making the Nazi Party the largest in Germany.

Why did Germans support Hitler and the Nazi party? Two principal reasons were Hitler's nationalistic messages and the worldwide economic depression.

Hitler's ideology of racial nationalism called for Germany to purify itself of Jews and other "undesirables," expand the German national community by incorporating German-speaking peoples of neighboring countries, and create Lebensraum (living room) by replacing inferior Soviet Slavs with Germans. In short, he was determined to expand Germany's borders. Hitler was ambitious but his prison term had made him pragmatic. He needed voters to respond to him and his message.

To convey their message and instill the idea that Hitler was strong and decisive, Nazis deployed new nationalist symbols like the swastika and new political techniques like massive political rallies. One cannot underestimate the power of Hitler's charisma. He became a polished politician who used an understanding of theatrics and mass psychology to fashion himself as a savior of the German people.

Joseph Goebbels' mastery of the techniques of mass persuasion was instrumental in bringing Adolf Hitler to power. In March 1933, Hitler rewarded Goebbels' early hard work with the position of Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda for the Nazi Party.

The Nazi party attracted a following of extraordinary social diversity. Nazism appealed to discontented Germans because of its nationalistic call for Germanic unity, its racial beliefs, its anti-communism, and its efficient organization and charismatic leadership. Hitler was adept at tapping into German traditions of militarism and anti-Semitism.

Nazis also benefited from acts of protest against the Weimar government and the related fears of communist takeover. As the depression deepened in 1930, street violence between Nazi thugs and communists increased. The Nazis' intended result was for Hitler to appear strong and capable of bringing order out of chaos.

The Nazis' core constituency was lower-middle class voters — shopkeepers, bureaucrats and clerks, salespeople, nurses, and teachers. After 1930, non-unionized working class and the bourgeoisie began to support the party. The Nazis were excellent political campaigners, infiltrating student groups, sports clubs, and occupational associations representing teachers and doctors.

In rural areas, party members successfully infiltrated the influential chambers of agriculture, helped by the agricultural crisis of 1930-1932. Women, Hitler once told the New York Times, were "among my staunchest supporters," despite the fact that the Nazi party banned females from party leadership and attacked feminist movements for their liberal and Jewish influences. Nazism also appealed to students, as the depression began to deprive them of career opportunities.

Armed with widespread support from voters and the support of the outgoing chancellor, Hitler became Chancellor of Germany on January 30, 1933. President Paul von Hindenburg reluctantly administered the oath of office to Hitler, making him the de facto leader of Germany. Hitler was now poised to seize power from within the sheepfold of German politics.