... In terms of social life under the Nazis, 'It was a movement and an ideology that aimed to exercise power so as to transform German society'(1). This argument is expressed by Layton, whose book is used as an A-level resource. Therefore, we can rely on it as being a synthesis of the most up to date research. Nevertheless, there are Historians, such as Traynor, who presents both structuralist and intentionalist cases, and puts forward the argument that Hitler and the Nazis '...did very little to promote genuine social change'(2). Recent historians, such as Layton, tend to be structuralists as opposed to intentionalists, who believed Hitler was 'master' as well as viewing him as central to foreign and race policies. Gradually, historical research revealed characteristics of Hitler, which painted him as a weaker character. Overall, the argument through time has developed from intentionalists to structuralists, which is why modern historians tend ...

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