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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
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