Nazi party percentage
 

Anybody know the percentage of the German empire population that were Nazi in the ww2 era?

I have a bet going....10% and less I win....more than that my associate wins.

Tom W

When I was born in 1959, I never could find my uniforms ... :D ... but, I was handed a perfectly fitting, long, black, heavy-duty leather coat, when I was in my mid teens ;) God knows, were that thing might be today :(

I did a search for populatin of germany and the max size of the reich was 87.1 mil. the max size of the nazi party is shown as 8.5 mil by wiki.

I think my associate owes me a quarter.

Tom W

Define "member" one who votes for or one who attends conventions?

I googled and found that Wiki BTW.

It probably means a registered party member.

As long as Howie is on a generous roll, what is the party percentage in China? What was it for Baathists in Iraq?

I wonder if there is some optimal party membership in a totalitarian state. Somebody rules while everybody else gets ruled over.

I was pretty sure the membership of the Communist party in China was very small like 1-2% of the population, but wikipedia tells me its higher than that, but still low at about 5% or 70 million people. I know from shows I've seen on PBS that they don't make it easy to get in. You have to have top marks in schools and show what a team player you are.

I don't know. That is just what Wiki said. I would think registered member, but being a member is not anything like being a democrat or repo here, I don't imagine.

Tom W

You'd better not cite wikipedia as a source to your buddy. Unless of course he doesn't realize that anyone can change the info :)

Also don't forget that all Nazi's were not just German. Some of the worst crimes commited by SS divisions during WW2 were not commited by German SS divisions.

Looks like you should win:

" Nazi Party: Admission Requirements

Membership Qualifications: (Extracts)

Any member of the German people who has a clean record, who is of pure German blood, who does not belong to a Freemason's lodge or any related organization, and who has completed his 21st year (in some cases his 18th) can become a member of the NSDAP [National Socialist German Workers' Party] . . .

Anyone who becomes a party member . . . obligates himself to subordinate his own ego and to place everything he has in the service of the peoples' cause . . . Readiness to fight, readiness to sacrifice, and strength of character are the requirements for a good National Socialist . . .

As matter of principle younger applicants for admission are to be shown preference . . . Male applicants under 25 years of age must show proof that they have completed their military service. . .

Only those racial comrades are eligible for admission who possess German citizenship . . . Clergymen and other persons who have strong denominational connections cannot be admitted . . . Former members of the French Foreign Legion also cannot be admitted.

The application (for admission) must be refused in all cases where:

(a) The marriage partner of the applicant is not free from Jewish or colored racial admixture; . . .
(b) The applicant has belonged to a Freemason's lodge or similar organization (Odd Fellows, Druid Order, etc.) or to any secret society . . .
(f) The applicant suffers from a hereditary illness, as defined by the law of July 14, 1933 for the prevention of the procreation of congenitally unhealthy elements . . .
The ideal proportion of the number of party members and the number of racial comrades in the Greater German Reich . . is set at 10 percent.

The National Socialist commandments:

The Fuehrer is always right!
Never go against discipline!
Don't buy from Jews!
Spare the health of the party members and speakers and refrain voluntarily from smoking at the meetings . . .
It is forbidden to all party members to engage in discussions of foreign policy with foreigners. Only such persons as have been designated by the Fuehrer are entitled to do so.

[Ref.: Nazi Party Organization Book, 1940: Quoted in R.E. Murphy et al., National Socialism (U.S. Gov. Ptg. Office, 1943), pp. 186-211.]"


From:
http://web.jjay.cuny.edu/~jobrien/reference/ob79.html

"Spare the health of the party members and speakers and refrain voluntarily from smoking at the meetings"

Is it just me or is that one really out of place? But none the less its a good rule.

The Nazis were very much into healthy living and very green too.

google scholar and my schools data base had the info.. I just didn't feel like reading through it all