At schools nearly all teachers were nationalistic (if not they were usually sacked), and 97 percent of teachers had joined the Nazi Teachers Association. Certain subjects were given more importance than others, such as Physical Education which was given 15 per cent of curriculum time. Pupils had to pass an examination for this, and if they failed it could often lead to them being expelled. The reason for this focus on P.E was because they wanted their young students to be fit and healthy, like soldiers. They were disciplined physically and trained in a military fashion to create a strong Germany. Then, when they got home and went to the Hitler Youth they would also undergo vigorous physical training that was underlined and promoted as being a standard yet extremely important skill that all men should have.
The Hitler Youth also taught history. This concentrated on the rise of Nazi Germany, the injustices of the Treaty of Versailles, and the evils of communism and the Jews. They were taught what was good about the 19th century, and the hardships of 20th century Germany and how they were treated unfairly, such as by the Treaty of Versailles. They taught this subject with great emotion, so that it would make the children want to reverse the Treaty of Versailles, and get back to the ‘great’ Germany of the 19th century. By the time they were senior pupils learning history it would have made them confident that loyalty to the Fuhrer was right and good.
In biology at school, they would have been taught how to classify German races, the ideas of race, population control and how to measure the skull. This was because the bigger skull you had, the bigger your brain and therefore you were more intelligent, proving that you were a pure Aryan. These lessons informed them about the aims for a racially pure Germany and how they would take over their country. They also learnt how they were special being part of the Aryan race because they were so superior in intelligence and strength to the Untermenschen or Jews and Slavs of Eastern Europe.
German education taught pupils to be aware of their German identity by researching about heroes of the Hitler youth and the First World War. Geography would teach the youth about the lands that were once part of Germany, and the needs for more living space (Lebensraum). However, Religious Studies became less important and by 1937 pupils had the choice of dropping the subject.
Children of the Hitler Youth movement had it made clear to them that their first loyalty was Adolph Hitler and the Volk. This caused children to become alienated from their parents who were not as keen on Hitler as they were. The children would not have understood why their parents were not fond of Nazi regulation, of its working practices or why they found Nazi inspectors checking up on teachers rather strange because for them it was normal.
So we can see how Nazi beliefs and aims were achieved through the Hitler Youth Movement. The aims for a stronger Germany, a racial Germany and the Volk were all achieved through indoctrinating children at youth movements and at school.
