ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Volksgemeinschaft

Volksgemeinschaft means "people's community" in German. It was a concept that was popular in Nazi Germany during the 1930s and 1940s. The idea was that everyone in Germany, regardless of their background, would come together and work for the good of the country.

Think of it like being on a soccer team. Everyone on the team has a different background, different strengths and weaknesses, and different ways of doing things. But, when they come together on the field, they all work towards the same goal of winning the game. Everyone on the team is important and plays a valuable role in achieving that goal.

The problem with volksgemeinschaft is that the Nazi party used it as a way to control the population. They believed that certain groups of people, like Jews, weren't "German" enough to be part of the community. This led to discrimination and even violence against those who didn't fit the Nazi's vision of the perfect Volksgemeinschaft.

In essence, volksgemeinschaft was an idea that sounded good on the surface - everyone coming together for the good of the country - but in reality, it was used to exclude certain groups of people and justify terrible actions.