Before his political career he was a railway toolmaker and locksmith in Berlin. During [[World War I]] he formed a branch of the ''Der Freie Arbeiterausschuss für einen guten Frieden'' (Free Workers' Committee for a Good Peace) league.<ref>Kershaw, Ian. ''Hitler: A Biography'' (2008).</ref> In 1918, Drexler met with journalist [[Karl Harrer]] (a member of the socialist racist [[Thule Society]]) and they formed the ''Politischer Arbeiterzirkel'' (Political Workers' Circle.<ref>Kershaw, Ian. ''Hitler: A Biography'' (2008).</ref> This group in January 1919 became the basis of the German Workers' Party; it was one of many parties that formed in Germany after the war. These parties were small groups of like-minded men engaging in hate speech, anti-semitism and communist-Jewish conspiracies. | Before his political career he was a railway toolmaker and locksmith in Berlin. During [[World War I]] he formed a branch of the ''Der Freie Arbeiterausschuss für einen guten Frieden'' (Free Workers' Committee for a Good Peace) league.<ref>Kershaw, Ian. ''Hitler: A Biography'' (2008).</ref> In 1918, Drexler met with journalist [[Karl Harrer]] (a member of the socialist racist [[Thule Society]]) and they formed the ''Politischer Arbeiterzirkel'' (Political Workers' Circle.<ref>Kershaw, Ian. ''Hitler: A Biography'' (2008).</ref> This group in January 1919 became the basis of the German Workers' Party; it was one of many parties that formed in Germany after the war. These parties were small groups of like-minded men engaging in hate speech, anti-semitism and communist-Jewish conspiracies. |