The Hitler youth were to meet every day after school and all day Saturday. At the meetings, the youths minds were filled with propaganda; the children were easily taken in by the Nazi’s lies. Also at the meetings, the children were encouraged to tell tales whether their parents and other adults had ever spoken of anti-Nazi ideas.
The curriculum also saw dramatic changes; it was designed to teach what the Nazi’s wanted the young people to think. The subject changes include;
P.E – Boys were taught mainly boxing but also took part in other aggressive/tactical sports, whereas, girls were taught homemaking and childcare because the Nazi’s view of the girl’s role in Germany was church, kitchen and children.
Biology – Pupils were instructed on the Nazi racial ideas and the superiority of the Aryan race, (selective breeding).
German – Pupils were taught the German War and the Nazi party.
History – Pupils were taught the rise of the Nazi party, the unfairness of the treaty of Versailles and the wickedness of the Jews and communist. No history of early Germany and history of other countries were taught.
Geography – the youths were instructed on the land they once had and what should be taken.
Maths – Students were taught simple mathematics which included Nazi ideas.
Also, Jewish students were taught in different classes which eventually resulted in Jews not being taught in German schools.
However, many German youths decided to rebel against the Nazi laws by staying out late, writing graffiti on public walls, assaulting Hitler youth workers, drinking, smoking, listening to jazz music, not turning up to meetings and having sex. Hitler attempted to control the bad behaviour by introducing curfews, giving harsher punishments such as; hard labour, banning public smoking/drinking and even sentencing some students to death.
To conclude, Hitler introduced new laws, changed the school curriculum, set up a Hitler youth, used propaganda to attract the children, and set physical and personal standards for the youth to control them. Even though the youths began to rebel Hitler introduced harsher laws to in order control them. However, the Hitler youth still remained to be popular with the German youth.
