The Nazis believed that a strong mind can only be found in a strong body. Sport was emphasized a lot. Because Hitler wanted to make boys fit for war and girls fit for childbirth. History, biology and German language were essential in the Nazi vision of education. Biology was important to study race for Hitler said that the primary gain of the education system was to install racial consciousness into every student.
The Hitler youth organizations taught children loyalty to Hitler and trained them in military skills. Hitler answered the question ‘what is the purpose of these organisations’ when he said:
“The weak must be chiseled away. I want young men and women who can
suffer pain. A young German must be swift as a grey hound, as tough as leather
and as hard as Krupp’s steel”.
By 1939 there were over 7. 25 million members of the Hitler Youth Movement
The Nazis plans for Germany were not the same for girls and boys. Boys’ education had the emphasis on military training and skills. A girl’s place in the Nazis’ plan though was much different. They were taught the ‘three Ks’ – kinder, kirche and kuche (children, church and cooking). Shortly after Hitler came to power he passed a law to encourage marriage. This law goes to show the role of women in the Nazi regime, they were encouraged to marry and expected to have lots of children. Women were discouraged from having a professional career.
Only half of boys were members and only 15% of girls in 1933. By 1939 despite making them compulsory youth groups were in crisis. Group leaders were drafted into the army and older teenagers were running the movements. As the war progressed anti-Hitler views increased and the movements’ popularity declined. The Edelweiss Pirates and the “Swing Movement” were two of the main groups of youths opposing the Nazis.
The Edelweiss Pirates were working class teenagers between 14 and 17. They mocked the Nazi movement and attacked bands of Hitler youths. The Nazis could not do anything against the Pirates because as long as they needed workers they couldn’t go and kill all the teenagers.
The Swing Movement was made up of middle class teenagers, they had parties where they listened to English and American jazz music such as jitterbug which was banned by Hitler. This club accepted Jews. Both the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Movement had very relaxed views on sex and on dress/clothes which were forbidden by the Nazis to the Hitler youth.
So was the Nazi youth movement successful? Millions of people joined the Hitler Youth in the first few years (1930s) and built Germany a loyal and powerful army. Yet as time past and war drew near the Hitler youth was concentrating more on military things than the fun that they used to do. This meant the popularity of the organization was falling, more and more people were joining movements such as the Swing Movement and the Edelweiss Pirates. On the other hand the Hitler Youth loyalty was so strong that as well as millions fighting at the start of the war, there were people joining at the end when the war was lost, they were prepared to die for Hitler and their country.
I believe the Hitler Youth Organisations were very successful. They built an army and were so close to winning the war. Although there were exceptions such as Pirates and the Swing Movement the loyalty that the organizations installed in children worked perfectly. “We felt important” said one Hitler youth when asked what was the appeal of the Nazi organizations. A sentiment held by millions of children all over Germany. The Nazis aim was to appeal to the younger generations so they strived to make themselves attractive as possible to children.
