Chapter 6 Analysis and Reflection

1. How did the Nazis attempt to build a “racially pure and harmonious national community”? What were the roles of law, propaganda, the media, arts, education, and family? How do the readings in this chapter illustrate the power and the limits of each of these influences?

2. What difficult choices were young people faced with—at home, in school, and in their communities—during this period? How did these choices challenge the way these young people saw themselves and understood their identities?

3. What kinds of resistance to the Nazi government between 1933 and 1938 are described in this chapter? Which of these examples seemed most successful?

4. How do the readings in this chapter help you understand what the Nazis meant by a Volksgemeinschaft, or “national community”? How do these readings help you understand what it was like to live in such a state?

5. How did Germany’s universe of obligation change from 1933 to 1938? What factors were most important in bringing about this change?