How Did Young People React to the Nazi Regime?
Education and Youth in Nazi Germany - Summary
Hitler and the Nazi Party made many changes which affected Germany’s young people. Nazi policies targeted both the establishment of youth groups as well as children’s education. These organisations aimed to indoctrinate young people with radical, Nazi ideas.
By 1933, boys and girls in Germany were only allowed to join one of the available Nazi youth groups. For male teenagers, membership in the Hitler Youth was focused on physical and military training. Hitler wanted to create an army for the future to ensure the protection of Nazi Germany. Teenage girls were encouraged to join the League of German Maidens, where they would develop skills such as cooking and needlework. While they were also expected to take part in physical activities, this was more to ensure they would be capable mothers and produce healthy children.
Education in schools was also directed towards Nazi beliefs. The Nazis created lessons in eugenics. There was a focus on PE, especially for the boys. Girls would learn about the importance of marrying ‘pure’ German men. The curriculum was tightly controlled and all teachers were expected to join the Nazi Teachers' League.
Nazi Beliefs Towards the Young
Nazi Beliefs Towards the Young
Hitler and the Nazis wanted to create a Third Reich that would last a thousand years
Hitler was aware that adults in Nazi Germany had mixed opinions of the Nazi Party
Adults were more difficult to influence and change than the young
Control of the youth and future generations would ensure that the Nazi Party would always have public support
The Nazis had some key beliefs towards the young:
The Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens
The Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens
The Nazis made several changes during the 1930s to boost the membership numbers of the Nazi youth groups:
There were separate youth groups for boys and girls of different ages:
Types of Nazi Youth Groups
Age | Male group | Female group |
|---|---|---|
6-10 | Pimpfe |
|
10-14 | German Young People | Young Maidens |
14-18 | Hitler Youth | League of German Maidens |
The Hitler Youth
Baldur von Schirach was the Hitler Youth leader
Boys aged 14 could join the Hitler Youth
At age 18, boys became members of the Nazi Party and worked or joined the armed forces
Training was split into four distinct areas:
The League of German Maidens
The Bund Deutscher Mädel or League of German Maidens (BDM) was the female equivalent of the Hitler Youth
They shared some similarities with the Hitler Youth, but the emphasis was on training girls to be good wives and mothers:
Activities focused on the ‘three Ks’
Kinder (Children)
Kirche (Church)
Küche (Cooking)
In 1938, the Nais created a sub-group of the BDM called the ‘Faith and Beauty Society.’ Its members were girls aged 17-21:
The Nazis were concerned that members of the BDM would forget their teachings when they left the group at the age of 18
The ‘Faith and Beauty Society’ served as a way for women to receive further education until they were old enough to join the National Socialist Women's League
The Impact of Youth Groups
Although membership reached nine million by 1939, it did not mean that all members enjoyed being in a Nazi youth group:
Education in Nazi Germany
Education in Nazi Germany
Alongside attendance of one of the Nazi youth groups, children were still required to attend school for education
Hitler knew that control of children’s education would allow him to create a generation of Nazis loyal to him
Bernhard Rust was made Education Minister in 1934 and made several changes to teachers and schools
Teachers
Those not loyal to the Nazi regime were sacked
Rust sacked over 180 teachers in Prussia
They swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler and joined the Nazi Teachers’ League
Membership of the Nazi Party was also compulsory
They attended political education courses outlining key Nazi ideas
Around 200,000 teachers had attended courses by 1939
Teachers had responsibilities at school to:
Teach students the Nazi salute
Begin and end each lesson with ‘Heil Hitler’
Place posters, Nazi flags and a picture of Hitler in each classroom
Curriculum
Boys and girls were educated separately
The Nazis took control of the curriculum so that they could influence children’s beliefs:
After 1935, the Nazis had to approve all textbooks
All books contained pictures of Hitler
Mein Kampf became a compulsory text
Events like the First World War were reworded to blame Jewish people and the November Criminals
Napolas were schools for the most ‘gifted’ and racially pure children:
SS members replaced the traditional teachers
The emphasis was on sport and physical training
Students went on to join the SS or police services
By 1939, there were 16 Napolas schools