 
Anton Drexler was born in Germany on June 13, 1884. He worked as a machine-fitter before becoming a locksmith in 1902. In 1919, Drexler was a founding member and leader of the German Workers' Party, which later merged with the National Socialist Party to form the National Socialist German Workers (or Nazi) Party. In 1920, while acting as an informant for the German Army, Hitler attended one of their meetings in the back of a Munich beer hall. Hitler agreed with many of the party's precepts, and Drexler invited him to publicly share his views. Hitler's charismatic speeches quickly propelled the party's popularity and soon Hitler became its driving force, altering its policy of Bavarian independence to one of German unity and further adding hard-line anti-Semitism. As Hitler's influence within the party increased, Drexler tried to maintain control by undermining the younger man's power. The attempts backfired, however, and in 1921 Hitler not only forced Drexler to step down, but insisted the executive committee unanimously name him Drexler's successor. |
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Robert Glenister has also been featured in the PBS series Masterpiece Theater as well as the feature films "Just Visiting," "Persuasion" and "The Secret Rapture." |
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