Hitler utilized the frustration of the unemployed and veteran soldiers to assemble an unofficial army of thugs, known as the Sturmabteilung, to intimidate his political opponents and to protect the early Nazi party.
Indeed, without the intimidation of the Sturmabteilung, Hitler's rise to power would have certainly been more difficult. Though this would not matter when the unofficial army later proved to be unnecessary to the ruthless Führer.
Formation and Beer Hall Putsch
Germany after WWI was a country filled with resent and despair. The country was hindered by crippling demands of the Versailles Treaty and forced to pay reparations for the entire war. Additionally, the army which had been a source of national pride was limited to a mere 100,000 men, as assurance that those mighty forces would not rise again.
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