Wednesday 20 September 2023

The National Socialist: His General Conduct

 

Source: Organisationsbuch der NSDAP / The Organisation Book of the National Socialist German Workers’ Party

 

Every Party member must think of himself as a servant of the Movement and of his Folk, and act accordingly. That applies particularly to Political Officers, to Leaders of all Sections of the Party, to Administrators and Wardens.

 

It is the most important task of every National Socialist to keep alive and continually strengthen the idea of national unity.

 

It is incompatible with this task to keep oneself aloof from one’s fellow Party members and citizens, to imagine oneself to be superior, and thus open up a gulf, to bridge which has caused deepfelt anguish to the best of German men. When he accepts higher office, a National Socialist accepts higher duties. He holds absolute power only to enable him to carry out his higher duties. They do not entitle him to become overbearing, arrogant and conceited. He will never win confidence and the ready obedience of his junior Leaders and men by threats, tyranny and parade ground language.

 

On duty, he should be a leader and supporter; off duty, he should act as good companion and helper to his junior Leaders, fellow Party members, and fellow citizens. The more his deeds are in keeping with his words, the more readily his fellow Party members as well as his fellow citizens will follow him.

 

In his behaviour, every National Socialist must remain as simple and as modest as was customary among National Socialists during the times of struggle. He should not want to appear to be greater than he really is, and just as he will reject any obsequiousness towards those above him, he should not allow obsequiousness towards himself. A leading Party member must not be vain and sensitive at any time; he is bound to prefer a well-tried fighter’s true and candid speech to the honeyed words of creatures who fawn on him.

 

Always he is to keep in touch with the most humble of his fellow citizens, lending a willing ear to their troubles. They will be pleased to come to him if he has remained the same as ever, and if he still moves in the same society and circles as in the Time of Struggle.

 

Political Leaders, Administrators and Wardens should not take part in banquets; they should not seek presents and seek to become freemen of cities; they should not patronise the most expensive restaurants; and they should always behave, on duty and off duty, in the manner expected of them as representatives of the German Freedom Movement and as collaborators in the unutterably hard task of building a better Germany.

 

Above all, they should avoid excessive consumption of alcohol at a time when there are still many German families who lack the barest necessities of life and who are bound to lose their painfully regained faith while men belonging to the Movement -- possibly by breaking licensing laws -- are holding drinking parties, damaging by their behaviour in a state of intoxication the reputation of the Movement.

 

A true National Socialist does not boast of his actions and does not demand thanks. He finds his greatest reward in the knowledge of having performed his duty, in the success of his work, and in the confidence in him of his following.

 

A National Socialist is bound to act correctly if he examines himself daily, asking himself if he could justify his behaviour before his leaders.

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