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Military government weekly information bulletin
No. 37 (April 1946)
Press comments, pp. 13-19
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Page 18
July, 1944, when the gates of the Party were 'opiened to soldiers. FORMATIONS AND AFFILIATES For -a complete understanding of the significance iof Party memb'ership it is alslo necessary to trace the labyrinthine ways iof the so-called formations (Glie- iderungen) in their relationship to the NSDAP: I ,a. The SA lost its elite position in 1934 when its membership requirements ble- came less rigorous. Thereafter a member of the SA was considered as a Nazi in- ferior to la regular m'ember -of the NSDAP. After 1937 the Party tried to 'exert som'e pres'sure on SA men to make them join the Party. SA rank deter mined p'osition in the Party, insofar as NSDAP iofficers .selected from SA had to bie, with a few individual exceptions, m'embers iof the SA res'erv'e (aged 35 and up), who served only one week each month in the SA and devoted the rest 'of th'eir 'energy to political activity. Active SA members who attained Party offices remained in th'e regular SA. b. The SS and HJ were bound 'by the same regulations as th'e SA. The SS had always held -an 'elite position, but in 1937 the Party put pressur'e 'on the SS mem- bers to have them become regular mem- bers iof the NSDAP. c. The NSKK (NS-Kraftfahr K'orps or motor corps), originally the motorized ,division of the SA, became a separatefor- mation. Within the Party it was treated exactly like thie SA, although it came to be considered la more elite and politi.- cally acceptable group. *c. The NS-Frauenschaft (women',s, 'or- ganizatilon) held a position corresponding to th'e SA. After 1937 the Party wanted 'every member 'of the Frauenschaft to join the NSDAP. d. NS - Studentenbund and Dlozenten- bund had a s~ort of rivalry within -the Party. NSDAP 'officials used to call the D'ozentenbund "a Party formation by mistake" because it finally succeeded in achieving formation status. in order not' to 'be inferior to the Studentenbund. le. 'The Stahihelm was transferred into the SA in 1934, but any individual mem- ber could refusie to be so transferred, and likewise any member ;of the SA could leave that group without fear of conse- quences. In 1936 a special exception was made from the Mitgliedersp'erre to let Stailhehln members join the Party, but these applicants were very carefully and individually evaluated. f. Affiliated organizations :included many trade -and professional groups land membership in any ione.of these was by no means equal or even similar to Party membership. EXPULSION FROM THE PARTY A thought must also be given to the reasions, for which a, member could bie *expelled from the NSDAP, lest it be assumed that anyone who was dismissed automatically became a, non-Nazi, or that anti-Nazism wasl the common reason for expulsion. A statute of 1 January 1934 decreed that "Members will be separated a. Who commit dishonorable deeds or who committed deeds which became known after admittance; b. Who ac~t against the 'objectives 'of the NSDAP; c. Who through anti-moral conduct in the Party and in the community give of- fense ,andthereby harm the Party; d. Who within the Ortsgruppe, the Kreis ior the Gau havie repeatedly given cause for quarrels -and disputes; le. Who in spite 'of summons ,are three months behind in their dues without an excuse; d. Due to lack of interest." The Reichs'leitung' kept an individual file for every Party member. It anything 1of a derogatory nature was reported to the Reichsl'eitung by any 'of the Party officers, the SD or the Gestapo, a warn- ing. card was attached to the file. When the file 'of an applicant showed a warning card, the case was handed 'over 18
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