Editing Strasserism (section)

== Strasser brothers ==
{{Nazism sidebar|Ideology}}Otto and Gregor Strasser were both involved in the early Nazi Party. They were associated with the ''[[Kampfverlag]]'' press in the late 1920s, which Otto would later use to promote his views following his break with the party in 1930. After his departure, Otto continued publishing under Gregor’s name in some cases, using his brother’s reputation and parliamentary immunity to expand the reach of his ideas and avoid legal consequences.<ref name=":0" />

=== Gregor Strasser ===
{{main|Gregor Strasser}}
Gregor Strasser (1892–1934) began his career in [[ultranationalist]] German politics by joining the ''[[Freikorps]]'' after soldiering in the [[First World War]] (1914–1918). He participated in the [[Kapp Putsch]] (13 March 1920) and formed his own ''[[Völkisch movement|völkischer Wehrverband]]'', a “popular defense union” that Strasser later merged into the [[Nazi Party]] in 1921. Initially a loyal supporter of Hitler, as such, Strasser participated in the [[Beer Hall Putsch]] (8–9 November 1923) and held high-level offices in the Nazi Party; however, in the late 1920s and early 1930s, Strasser advocated for a course of action aimed at addressing Germany’s economic hardship and building broader popular support for the Nazi movement. His proposals included outreach to organized labor, public employment initiatives, and limited collaboration with elements outside the party. These initiatives conflicted with Hitler’s efforts to consolidate authority and reject cooperation with independent labor organizations or outside political forces. 

In the early 1930s, Gregor Strasser remained active in the NSDAP leadership. The 1930 split with his brother Otto, who left the party to form a dissident organization, publicly distanced Gregor from more explicit ideological opposition to Hitler. While Gregor continued to hold senior roles in the party, internal tensions over strategy and political direction became increasingly apparent. In 1932, he entered into discussions with Chancellor [[Kurt von Schleicher]], who reportedly considered him for a role in a proposed coalition government. Although there is no evidence that Strasser sought to split the Nazi Party, his openness to compromise was denounced by Hitler's inner circle as disloyalty.<ref>Kershaw, Ian, Hitler. 1889 – 1936 (Munich, 2002), p. 492-496.</ref>

Propaganda minister [[Joseph Goebbels]], who had once been a supporter of Strasser, now publicly accused Strasser of plotting with Schleicher to divide the party, and Strasser found himself politically isolated.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Longerich |first=Peter |title=Goebbels: A Biography |date=2010 |publisher=Random House |location=New York |publication-date=2015}}</ref><ref>Strachura, Peter D. (1983). Gregor Strasser and the Rise of Nazism. Abingdon: Routledge (published 2015). pp. 123.</ref> He resigned from all party positions in December 1932 and withdrew from active politics. He played no further role in the Nazi movement and was killed during the [[Night of the Long Knives]] in July 1934.

=== Otto Strasser ===
{{main|Otto Strasser}}
Otto Strasser (1897–1974) like his brother Gregor, served in the German army during the First World War and briefly joined the [[Freikorps]] in the immediate postwar years. However, unlike Gregor, who participated in the right-wing [[Kapp Putsch]] in 1920, Otto opposed the coup and initially sympathized with the [[Social Democratic Party of Germany|Social Democratic Party]], supporting the [[Weimar Republic]] before growing disillusioned with parliamentary politics.

Otto Strasser joined the Nazi Party in 1925 and soon developed a vision of National Socialism rooted in [[Distributism|Catholic distributism]] and [[guild socialism]]. He advocated breaking up large corporations, incorporating workers into enterprise structures through non-transferable shares, and preserving regional autonomy through a bottom-up economic and political structure. His rejection of the [[Führerprinzip]] and insistence on breaking up large industries brought him into conflict with the party’s leadership, culminating in his expulsion in 1930.

Following his departure, Otto founded the Combat League of Revolutionary National Socialists, better known as the [[Black Front]], a small dissident group formed in opposition to Hitler's leadership. Strasser fled Germany in 1933 to live firstly in [[Czechoslovakia]] and then Canada before returning to West Germany in later life, all the while writing prolifically about Hitler and what he saw as his betrayal of Nazism's ideals. During his exile, Strasser presented himself as a potential leader of a future German revolution and was briefly considered by British and Canadian officials as a possible asset. In 1941, elements of his Black Front contributed to the foundation of the [[Free-Germany Movement]], modeled on [[Free France]] and based largely in Latin America. It called for a democratic constitution, federalism and regional autonomy, peace between democracies and God-fearing policies. The movement was politically broader than his earlier group, uniting Christian, national-conservative, and social democratic exiles whose only shared stance was anti-communism. However, this ideological heterogeneity soon led to fragmentation.<ref>Joseph Strelka (2001). Deutschsprachige Exilliteratur seit 1933: USA. Francke. pp. 519–520. ISBN 978-3-908255-17-8.</ref> Concerns regarding his strong anti-communist stance, unclear political positioning, and limited verifiable influence led Allied officials to view him with caution. He was ultimately not considered a viable political partner by British or American intelligence services.<ref>Keyserlingk, R. H. (1981). Political Warfare Illusions: Otto Strasser and Britain’s World War Two Strategy of national revolts against Hitler. https://dalspace.library.dal.ca/items/616e0dc5-7d8e-470f-bd5d-bdd54f84f84d</ref>

Strasser was permitted to return to West Germany in 1955 and settled in Munich. In 1956, he founded the [[German Social Union (West Germany)|German Social Union]] (Deutsch-Soziale Union), a small party aimed at reviving his earlier ideas, but it failed to gain lasting support. He remained politically active as a writer until his death in 1974. In its obituary, The New York Times described Strasser as “Hitler’s [[Leon Trotsky|Trotsky]]”.<ref>{{Cite news |date=1974-08-28 |title=Otto Strasser, 76, Theoretician Who Broke With Hitler, Is Dead |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1974/08/28/archives/otto-strasser-76-theqretician-who-broke-with-hitler-is-dead.html?smid=url-share |access-date=2025-05-24 |work=The New York Times |language=en-US |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>