1. Volksgemeinschaft

2. Racial Doctrine and aims
People’s or Racial or National community based on INCLUDING all racial Germans but EXCLUDING all racial outsiders esp Jews.
Aryan Master race.
Social class unimportant in new Germany. Religion unimportant. People think only as German.
Different roles for men and women.
Sax says VGS fails due to contradictions.
Kershaw says VGS had impact on young but overall failed due to social and religious divides remaining.

3. Dealing with outsiders
Creating a perfect race saw in 1933 compulsory sterilisation for mentally and physically disabled. By 1939 programme of euthanasia for severely handicapped.
Treatment of Jews
1933 Boycott of shops and civil service ban.
35 – Nuremburg Laws marriage/sex banned between Jews/Germans.
38 – not own Businesses/Kristallnacht. Growing in severity.
Stephenson “majority was passively acquiescent”
Bergen “routinisation of anti-Semitism”

4. Women
Traditional peasant look. Breed for Germany/bring up children to be loyal members of VGS. Stay at home and not work.
Marriage loans. Mothers Cross. 4 kids. Family small unit of VGS.
Education and Hitler Youth used to influence women.
Contradictions – employment rate went up. “Life Springs” !!!!!
Mason argues VGS more effective on women.

5. Workers/Middle class
Many groups did better in new Germany so supported VGS [to a degree] – jobs available, increased small business as new department stores banned, Jews banned from business so more Aryan business opportunities. Big business benefits from rearmament.
Strength Through Joy – Liners are an example of VGS not working. Flagship policy but divided into 1st, 2nd and 3rd class.
Winterhilfe [Winter Relief]/Eintopf [Onepot] – families eat a stew once a month rather than roast dinner- to show all same. Give money to Winterhilfe. Much evidence that donations due to public pressure rather than genuine conviction.

6. Workers/Mittelstand
Mason – VGS failed to fully integrate workers, or stop class division.

7. Young and VGS
Different for boys/girls. Education shaped to get male strong soldiers and workers and female wives and mothers.
Emphasis on race and Germany in all teaching.
Free time controlled in Hitler Youth. Gender divide. Compulsory by – diluted?
Peukert by 1939 many young people started to rebel – Eidelweiss Pirates, Swing Kids [non-conformity].
Mosse limited impact of VGS on young – “success of indoctrination depended on specific teacher and school”

8. VGS and Churches
German people did not lose their religious belief. Noakes – churches allowed to keep their own ideology and so were an obstacle to VGS.
Concordat with Catholic church allowed Catholic schools and youth groups to continue. When Nazis took crucifixes out of classrooms they were replaced and not taken again.
Confessional church also against Nazi control of life.
Wilt criticises religions response to Nazis as weak and not resisting VGS enough.
Wright suggest churches were interested in their own position rather than standing against VGS and Nazis.