The Nazis sought to indoctrinate the young from as young as 4. The Hitler Youth catered for 10 to 18 year olds. There were separate organisations for boys and girls. The task of the boy’s section was to prepare the boys for military service. For girls, the organisation prepared them for . Youth movements were used as training grounds for the future 'leaders' of the Nazi state. They attended schools where these values were and systems were imposed.
Boys at 10 joined the Deutsches Jungvolk (German Young People) until the age of 13 when they transferred to the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth) until the age of 18. In 1936, the writer J R Tunus wrote about the activities of the Hitler Jugend. He stated that part of their "military athletics" (Wehrsport) included marching, bayonet drill, grenade throwing, trench digging, map reading, gas defence, use of dugouts, how to get under barbed wire and pistol shooting.
Girls, at the age of 10, joined the Jungmadelbund (League of Young Girls) and at the age of 14 transferred to the Bund Deutscher Madel (League of German Girls). Girls had to be able to run fast, throw well, complete a 2-hour march, swim and know how to make a bed.
Many were initially attracted to the physical and adventurous activities. The Nazis scorned intellectualism, academia and deep learning and placed greater emphasis on physical strength and obedience. They also worried how education would breed individualism and feared revolution and change. Academic quality and excellence did decline.
There is evidence of increasing disillusionment amongst youth as the years rolled on. (Edelweiss Pirates, White Rose Group, etc) During the war, groups of young people challenged the Nazi orthodoxy, despite the risk of being caught. This obviously shows that the Nazis could not win the hearts of all German 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.
To the outside world, the Hitler Youth seemed to personify German discipline. But by 1938, attendance at Hitler Youth meetings was so poor - barely 25% - that the authorities decided to tighten up attendance with the 1939 law making attendance compulsory. Again shows that the Nazis could not fully capture the hearts of the Youth. Parents and children passively resisted the ideas although they did not agree. There was also a lot of evidence that there was disillusion with Youth movements over the years such as the drop in members. Many were initially interested in the adventurous activities, but it soon wore off. The Nazi propaganda showed the Youth movements to be doing better and more than what they really did.