MOVEMENT CYCLES AND THE NAZI PARTY - ACTIVITIES OF THE MUNICH NSDAP, 1925-1930

Following insights of social movement theory, this article looks at mo vement cycles in the initial development of the Nazi Party. Specifical ly, it explores the framing strategies the party employed in trying to make efficient use of opportunity structures in the political discour se of the late 1920s. On the basis of a content analysis of the offici al party newspapers the authors finalize the topics of political event s mid speeches the Nazi Party organized in Munich between 1925 and 193 0. The results show that after 1928, the Nazi Party managed to achieve a coherent set of themes around economic and political issues that ma y have facilitated its rise to power.