Inside Nazi Germany: Conformity, Opposition, and Racism in Everyday Life

In this remarkable social history of the Third Reich, Detlev J. K. Peukert surveys how ordinary citizens evaded or accepted Nazi policies of repression, terrorism, and racism. Peukert discusses not only the popular consensus that supported Nazism but also the opposition of the German middle class, working class, and youth.
“A highly original and informative synthesis of the most exciting new scholarship on Nazi Germany. It gives an intimate insight into people’s beliefs, aspirations, and fears, and it forces us to reassess how Hitler and Auschwitz were possible.”―Mary Nolan, New York Times Book Review
“An indispensable text for understanding the social history of Nazi rule.”―Rudy Koshar, American Historical Review
“To the historical reconsideration of National Socialism, Mr. Peukert’s book makes a signal contribution by demonstrating the way in which a movement that came to power loudly proclaiming its intention to restore old ways and traditions advanced the cause of modernity almost against its will.”―Gordon A. Craig, New York Review of Books
“Everyone interested in the social history of the Third Reich should read Peukert’s book.”―Choice

This book by Detlev Peukert is a survey of the complex experiences and attitudes of ordinary German people between 1933 and 1945. It records how people lived during this period, how they evaded or accepted the regime's demands, and where they positioned themselves along the spectrum between the front lines, side lines, and firing lines.