1. KERSHAW’S VIEW ON THE SUCCESS OF HITLER’S AIM IN CREATING THE VOLKSGEMEINSCHAF T IN GERMANY 1933- 39. EXPLAIN WHY YOU AGREE OR DISAGREE WITH HIS OPINION.

2. VOLKSGEMEINSCHAFT What was the Volksgemeinschaft? The Volksgemeinschaft was the Nazi ideal of a perfect Aryan society. The Nazis did not create a classless community. There remained a significant difference between classes. There were changes to the roles of different groups within the Volksgemeinschaft but these changes were often changes in appearance only, and were undermined by the practical requirements of war. War resulted in increasing quantity and decisiveness of dissent from the Nazi vision of the Volksgemeinschaft. There was a huge gap between the propaganda of the Volksgemeinschaft and the reality of life in Nazi Germany, increasing with the advent of war. Overall conclusion: Volksgemeinschaft was an ideal not a reality (his vision was perfect, but couldn’t be made true) Continuity with Weimar (government) not total break with tradition Any real changes undermined by war and vanished in 1945 therefore short-term Only long-term change negative – destruction of minorities

3. WE AGREE WITH KERSHAW'S OPINION AS.. Volksgemeinschaft was a method of trying to create a traditional society which was a step forward for German society. It provided Germans with a variety of opportunity's for example the Hitler youth for the German youth which tried to provide exiting activities to intice young people. Also strength through joy, which provided activity for German's to do when they weren't working. In addition to this it also prepared women for there proper roles within society for example the 3 k’s. Other historians opinions: Source 14.41- it has been estimated that as many as 95% of the German youth backed the Nazis or at least Hitler and that opposition for the most part remained vague and defused. Source 14.42- the second half of the 1930s reveals a growing crisis in Hitler youth.

4. HOWEVER SOME PEOPLE MAY DISAGREE AS… The Nazis did not create a classless community. There remained a significant difference between classes. There were changes to the roles of different groups within the Volksgemeinschaft but these changes were often changes in appearance only, and were undermined by the practical requirements of war. War resulted in increasing quantity and decisiveness of dissent from the Nazi vision of the Volksgemeinschaft. There was a huge gap between the propaganda of the Volksgemeinschaft and the reality of life in Nazi Germany, increasing with the advent of war. Other historians: Source 14.42 K Fischer 1995- Nazi indoctrination was able to mis educate and misuse a whole generation of young people.

5. VOLKSGEMEINSCHAFT Kershaw argues that ‘Nazism did not produce a social revolution' during the twelve years of power There are a number of difficulties with studying how far society was transformed Confusing propaganda with reality. The ideal German was the traditional peasant, working the homeland, but the reality of Nazi Germany was of an industrial economy at war If we accept that change occurred, we have the difficulty of deciding whether war or Nazism was the force for change Difficulty of identifying long-term and short-term, direct and indirect change