Mein Kampf by Adolf Hitler

of the forces whose development may indeed be foreseen from the start but not perpetually
controlled.
All great movements, whether of a political or religious nature, owe their imposing success to
the recognition and adoption of those principles. And no durable success is conceivable if
these laws are not observed.
As director of propaganda for the party, I took care not merely to prepare the ground for the
greatness of the movement in its subsequent stages, but I also adopted the most radical
measures against allowing into the organization any other than the best material. For the
more radical and exciting my propaganda was, the more did it frighten weak and wavering
characters away, thus preventing them from entering the first nucleus of our organization.
Perhaps they remained followers, but they did not raise their voices. On the contrary, they
maintained a discreet silence on the fact. Many thousands of persons then assured me that
they were in full agreement with us but they could not on any account become members of
our party. They said that the movement was so radical that to take part in it as members
would expose them to grave censures and grave dangers, so that they would rather continue
to be looked upon as honest and peaceful citizens and remain aside, for the time being at
least, though devoted to our cause with all their hearts.
And that was all to the good. If all these men who in their hearts did not approve of
revolutionary ideas came into our movement as members at that time, we should be looked
upon as a pious confraternity today and not as a young movement inspired with the spirit of
combat.
The lively and combative form which I gave to all our propaganda fortified and guaranteed
the radical tendency of our movement, and the result was that, with a few exceptions, only
men of radical views were disposed to become members.
It was due to the effect of our propaganda that within a short period of time hundreds of
thousands of citizens became convinced in their hearts that we were right and wished us
victory, although personally they were too timid to make sacrifices for our cause or even
participate in it.
Up to the middle of 1921 this simple activity of gathering in followers was sufficient and was
of value to the movement. But in the summer of that year certain events happened which
made it seem opportune for us to bring our organization into line with the manifest
successes which the propaganda had achieved.
An attempt made by a group of patriotic visionaries, supported by the chairman of the party
at that time, to take over the direction of the party led to the break up of this little intrigue
and, by a unanimous vote at a general meeting, entrusted the entire direction of the party to
my own hands. At the same time a new statute was passed which invested sole responsibility
in the chairman of the movement, abolished the system of resolutions in committee and in its
stead introduced the principle of division of labour which since that time has worked
excellently.
From August 1st, 1921, onwards I undertook this internal reorganization of the party and
was supported by a number of excellent men. I shall mention them and their work
individually later on.
In my endeavour to turn the results gained by the propaganda to the advantage of the
organization and thus stabilize them, I had to abolish completely a number of old customs
and introduce regulations which none of the other parties possessed or had adopted.
In the years 1920-21 the movement was controlled by a committee elected by the members at
a general meeting. The committee was composed of a first and second treasurer, a first and