'''Anton Drexler''' ([[13 June]] [[1884]] - [[24 February]] [[1942]]) was a German [[Nazi]] political leader of the [[1920s]].
==Biography==
Born in [[Munich]], Drexler was a machine-fitter before becoming a [[railway]] [[locksmith]] in [[Berlin]] in 1902. He joined the [[Fatherland Party]] during [[World War I]]. He was a [[poet]] and a member of the [[Völkisch movement|völkisch]] agitators who, together with journalist [[Karl Harrer]], founded the [[German Workers' Party]] (DAP) in [[Munich]] with [[Gottfried Feder]] and [[Dietrich Eckart]] in 1919. He was also a brewer but did not have much involvement with the Drexler Breweries, one of Bavaria's most popular breweries at the time.
At a meeting of the Party in [[Munich]] in [[September]] [[1919]], the main speaker was [[Gottfried Feder]]. When he had finished speaking, a member of the audience whose name is lost to history stood up and suggested that [[Bavaria]] should break away from [[Prussia]] and form a separate nation with [[Austria]]. [[Adolf Hitler]]<ref name="Mein">Adolf Hitler (1927), ''Mein Kampf''.</ref> sprang up from the audience to rebut the argument. Drexler approached Hitler and thrust a booklet into his hand. It was entitled ''My Political Awakening'' and, according to Hitler's writing in ''[[Mein Kampf]]'', it reflected much of what he had himself decided upon. Later the same day he received a postcard telling him that he had been accepted for membership of what was at that time the German Workers' Party.<ref name="Mein"/> After some internal debate, he says, he decided to join.
At Hitler's behest, Drexler changed the name of the Party to the National Socialist German Workers' Party ([[Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei]] or [[NSDAP]]) early in 1920.
By 1921, Hitler was rapidly becoming the undisputed leader of the Party. In the summer of that year he travelled to [[Berlin]] to address a meeting of German Nationalists from northern Germany. While he was away the other members of the Party Committee, led by Drexler, circulated as a pamphlet an indictment of Hitler, which accused him of seeking personal power without regard to other considerations.<ref>''Hitler's Secret Conversations 1941-44'', p. 287.</ref> Hitler brought a [[libel]] suit and Drexler was forced to repudiate at a public meeting. He was thereafter moved to the purely symbolic position of honorary president, and left the Party in 1923.
Drexler was also a member of a ''völkisch'' political club for affluent members of Munich society known as the [[Thule Society]]. His membership in the NSDAP ended when it was temporarily outlawed in 1923 following the [[Beer Hall Putsch]], in which Drexler had not taken part. In 1924 he was elected to the Bavarian state parliament for another party, in which he served as vice-president until 1928. He had no part in the NSDAP's refounding in 1925, and rejoined only after Hitler had come to power in 1933. He received the party's "[[Blood Order]]" in 1934 and was still occasionally used as a [[Nazi propaganda|propaganda]] tool until about 1937, but was never again allowed any real power. He was largely forgotten by the time of his death.
He is survived today by one grand nephew (George Drexler), one grand niece (Liba Drexler), several great grand nieces and nephews (Freidrich, Rebecca, Josef, Jesse and Krista Drexler) and great great grand nieces and nephews (Timothy, Mika and Hans Drexler — Timothy being heir to the family breweries and Drexler Manor{{Fact|date=August 2007}}).
==In Popular Culture==
In [[Harry Turtledove]]'s [[Timeline-191]] series of [[alternate history]] novels, the character "Anthony Dresser" appears to be based on Drexler.
==Footnotes==
<references/>
{{start box}}
{{succession box | before = [[Karl Harrer]] | title = [[Nazi Party|Chairman of the DAP]] | years = [[1919]]–[[1921]] | after = [[Adolf Hitler]] }}
{{end box}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Drexler, Anton}}
[[Category:1884 births]]
[[Category:1942 deaths]]
[[Category:People from Munich]]
[[Category:Nazi leaders]]
[[bs:Anton Drexler]]
[[cs:Anton Drexler]]
[[da:Anton Drexler]]
[[de:Anton Drexler]]
[[et:Anton Drexler]]
[[el:Άντον Ντρέξλερ]]
[[es:Anton Drexler]]
[[fr:Anton Drexler]]
[[hr:Anton Drexler]]
[[it:Anton Drexler]]
[[mk:Антон Дрекслер]]
[[nl:Anton Drexler]]
[[no:Anton Drexler]]
[[pl:Anton Drexler]]
[[pt:Anton Drexler]]
[[ru:Дрекслер, Антон]]
[[fi:Anton Drexler]]
[[sv:Anton Drexler]]