Hitler scorned intellectualism, academia and deep learning and placed greater emphasis on physical strength and obedience. Thus many were initially attracted to the physical and adventurous activities. This however is proven by couple of sources such as by Melita Maschmann in her memoirs and from Gerhard Wilke’s quotation.
“There was certainly a great deal of good and ambitious education in the Hitler Youth”.
“No one in our class ever read Mein Kampf”.
However due to this Academic quality and excellence did decline.
There was no major reorganisation of schools and schooling systems to accommodate the changes expected under the Nazi state. There was a decline in denominational (religion) schools and the creation a few elite schools but on the whole the school system was hardly affected. The government consequently attempted indoctrination via control of the curriculum and teachers was also limited. Teachers had to become member of the Nazi Teachers Union, where they were screened rigorously for their suitability and fitness as educators.
From the sources provided, although the sources don’t show much about the effect on the German youth, however I have been given a vivid picture of how the programme had affected the German Youth. It gives us a clear idea of how even though they did not integrate these ideas; it in fact had some sort of effect on them and they did follow it. They were influenced by the propaganda ‘I later contrived to dedicate body and soul to an inhuman political system’. I have found that there had been competition among the youths, in storytelling, musical activities etc. This gives us an idea of the antagonism that the Nazi were trying, and very well did succeed in to bringing about among German youth. But from what I have read in the other sources I have also found that the Nazi youth were gradually moving away from the ideas of the Volksgemeinschaft, ‘became a pattern of youth and nonconformity’ (source b). This explains the evidence of increasing disillusionment amongst youth as the years rolled on (Edelweiss Pirates, White Rose Group, etc). According to the source (14.30, Edelweiss Pirates’ song), these groups were formed as trying to escape the intrusive Nazi system, and were very against and violent towards the Hitler Youth.
From the sources of Nazi culture by Mosse and History Today Gerhard Wilke there is a definite confusion of the effect on youth. One of them states that they repeatedly studied Mein Kampf and in the other they hardly even read the book fully. From this I can foresee that the Nazi Youth Programme was not as successful as the Nazis would have hoped. As their was possibilities of teachers and parents corrupting there way of ‘teaching’ the youth. Many parents disliked the Nazi training but felt it was safer to appear as conformers than to objects. It could affect their child's education and friendships and their own position and status in the community.
However from studying the sources there are many reasons Nazis had succeeded in their purpose of converting the youth into ‘Hitler’s loyal soldiers’. For example the repetition of the vows or the repetition of studying Mein Kampf, all this must have had some effects on the youths as it must have manipulated their mind into thinking or excepting the idea of volksgemeinschaft. This has been confirmed from the quotes of Gerhard Wilke ‘obey orders’, ‘stop thinking when the magic word ‘Fatherland’ was uttered’.
From all this I can conclude that there is very mixed evidence on the success of Nazi propaganda on German youth. But that many did follow their path.