Boys of 10 joined the Deutsches Jungvolk (German Young People) until the age of 13 when they transferred to the Hitler Jugend (Hitler Youth); where they then stayed until 18. Part of their military style athletics (Wehrsport) the boys participated in included marching, bayonet drill, grenade throwing, trench digging, map reading, gas defence, use of dugouts, how to get under barbed wire and pistol shooting. There was also a Hitler Youth Achievement Award introduced for individuals who could complete the following:
Long jump 3.25m
Run 60m in under 10s
Throw a small leather ball 35m
Do 2 pull ups
Summersault backwards twice
Swim 100m
They also had to complete hiking and camping tests:
15 kilometre hike
Camp in a tent for 3 days
Put up a 2 man tent
Help put up a twelve man tent
Make a pit to cook and find water to do so
Learn the names of the most important trees
And use the stars to find a place on the map
Girls, at the age of 10, joined the Jungmadelbund (League of Young Girls) and at the age of 14 moved on to the Bund Deutscher Madel (League of German Girls).
The girls Hitler youth achievement award consisted of:
Running 60 metres in under 14 seconds
Throwing a ball 12 metres
Completing a 2 hour march
Swimming 100 metres
And learning how to make a bed
The whole Hitler Youth movement was overseen by Balder von Shirach.
To the outside world, the Hitler Youth seemed to personify German discipline. In fact, this image was just shown to the public. The reality was far different. The children in the movement where so tied from the evening meetings that there are records of reports from teachers complaining that the children were too tired to stay awake in class. By 1938, attendance at Hitler Youth meetings was so poor - barely 25% - this was the reason the authorities decided to tighten up attendance with the 1939 law making attendance compulsory.
Looking at all of this from an objective point of view I have deduced that the purpose of the Hitler Youth movement was to prepare. This was to prepare the girls for a life at home, thus encouraging child birth which links in with another of Hitler's ideals; that the place for the woman was Kinder, Küche, Kirche (children, kitchen, church). However there was also another purpose, the teachings of Hitler. This war to indoctrinate member to ensue a firm strong love of Hitler’s and a heart and head full of brainwashed Nazi ideals. This was also drilled in the heads of the boys however their preparation was that of military preparation to get them ready for military service. This was going to prove to have been extremely successful in the world war which then followed.
