Rise and Fall in the Third Reich: Social Mobility and Nazi Membership

Abstract We explore the relationship between Nazi membership and social mobility using a unique and highly detailed dataset of the German military during the Third Reich. We find that membership of a Nazi organisation is... [ view full abstract ]

Abstract We explore the relationship between Nazi membership and social mobility using a unique and highly detailed dataset of the German military during the Third Reich. We find that membership of a Nazi organisation is positively related to social mobility when measured by the difference between fathers' and sons' occupations. However, we find that this observed difference is driven by individuals with different characteristics self-selecting into these organisations, rather than from a direct reward to membership. This result is supported by a series of robustness tests, including an instrumental variable approach that uses the location of Catholic priests sympathetic to the Nazis as an instrument for Nazi membership. In addition, we explore the determinants of Nazi membership. We find that NS membership is associated with higher socio-economic background and human capital levels.