The Hitler Youth Group Movement: The Hitler Youth Movement

One way in which the Hitler Youth pushed the Nazification of Germany was through the brainwashing of the youth in schools (Featherman, 1932). Hitler was smart and realized it would be very hard to convince adults to change their ways immediately, so he targeted the youth because they were young and easily manipulated. According to

On the other hand, however, the group also did not enforce membership as stringently as their male counterparts did. The League of German Girls was the female part of the overall national-socialist youth movement known as the Hitler Youth. Its proper title was The League of German Girls in the Hitler Youth. An important part of life in the League of German Girls was to help the girls build character, and to prepare them for what were supposed to be their future tasks within the Nazi Volksgemeinschaft, or people's community, by getting them involved in programs that were for the "good of the people", such as collecting for the Winter Relief, helping with the harvest or collecting medicinal herbs in the fields. But to the girls, many of the League of German Girls' activities looked like lots of fun and like something they really wanted to participate in along with their friends. Many of the activities were not unlike what youth organizations offer today: BDM members could see movies or plays at reduced rates, go on field trips, or go away to camp during their school holidays. They were also able to compete against one another locally, regionally, and nationally in sports and other competitions.

The Nazi Party considered the youth of Germany as an important component for the future. Adolf Hitler, the leader of the Nationalist Socialist German Worker’s Party (Nazi Party) wrote in his autobiography Mein Kamp (My Struggle), “whoever has the youth has the future” . Hitler considered the Germany’s youth and the treatment of the youth to be an imperative aspect to guarantee a secure future for Germany and Nazi party and he aimed to create a nation dedicated to the Nationalist Socialist view. In order to achieve this, Hitler exploited the education system and took control of the Youth movement. The Reich Ministry of Education took power of the schooling system permeated it with propaganda to indoctrinate the youth. The majority of the young people in Germany participated in youth groups such as the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls which trained them for military service and motherhood.

This proved to be relatively easy, because often the leaders of the other youth groups sympathized with Hitler and were easily lured into Hitler youth. By the end of 1933 membership had increased to two million and by 1936 it had risen to five million.

“Once Hitler rose to power, he banned all other groups, even Boy Scouts, and only allowed for the Hitler Youth Program,” (Trueman). Hitler strongly believed that the youth was the future of Germany (Trueman). Additionally, he gradually started assigning adult roles to

Adolf Hitler manipulated the Hitler Youth to build up his militaristic power, maintain and strengthen his control over Germany during The Third Reich, and easily purge Germany of “Impure races” with his anti-semitic raised soldiers. Hitler used environmental isolationism to train and gain loyalty from the youth while he manipulated and indoctrinated them to follow his beliefs using propaganda and anti-semitic teachings.

The Hitler Youth, also known as the Hitlerjugend, was designed specifically for young Germans who wanted to fulfill their duties to the Fatherland and its leader, Adolf Hitler. Founded in 1926, this helped Hitler gain support from children throughout the entire country. Children as young as 6, with good records could join and become apprentices. By 1933, there were 100,000 members of the Hitler Youth and by 1940, 90% of all German children were members of the organization. Children were encouraged directly, mostly through school teachers. Parent permission was not necessary, making it easier for children to join. There were different sections of the Hitler Youth, based on age. It also had several divisions much like a real army. The boys were treated much like real soldiers at Hitler Youth training camps. They practiced military marching daily, strengthened their bodies, and had their hair shaved in military

Then the Nazis had to prepare for the future and the future of Germany was the youth. Many organisations like the Hitler youth and the league for German Maidens were set up to teach the youth to follow the Nazis. In the Hitler youth they were taught like the military, neat, tidy and organised. The youth saw Hitler as a father figure in the fatherland and obeyed him. Then Hitler used indoctrination in the education system to recruit them into the army as loyal Nazis. There were subtle Nazi views added into all school work to brainwash the youth, as they were naive and didn’t see the wrong side of the Nazis true nature. The future of the people’s community was successfully secure and the Nazis would keep control for years to come.

Children were not only drawn into Nazi ideology through education reforms, but the creation of Nazi Youth Organizations also attracted a majority of German youth to the Nazi belief system. The single greatest tool used by Hitler to convince the youth to work towards the Volksgemeinschaft was the Hitler Youth. The goal of this party-run youth organization was to brainwash children to think and act German, and to wipe out class distinction and individualism. Like the education system, the Hitler Youth also emphasized physical fitness, as a key part of Aryan superiority. It also provided a plethora of group activities, the goal of these activities was to build trust for your

Adolf Hitler manipulated the Hitler Youth to build up his militaristic power, maintain and strengthen his control over Germany during The Third Reich, and easily purge Germany of “Impure races” with his anti-semitic raised soldiers. Hitler used environmental isolationism to train and gain loyalty from the youth while he manipulated and indoctrinated them to follow his beliefs using propaganda and anti-semitic teachings.

As the war progressed, a need for soldiers presented itself to Germany, and Hitler turned to his youngest, and most enthusiastic, devoted followers. Due to air raids of its cities, Germany ordered her youth shipped to Hitler Youth camps in the countryside. Promises that the camps would continue education helped set parents at ease as their the government took their children away. Adversely the Nazis did not educate the children, but rigorously trained them in combat, treating them like soldiers at boot camp. Away from any source of respite, Nazi propaganda was constantly shoved down their throats through constant songs and slogans. Soon Allies encountering younger and younger soldiers, flinging themselves into battle with ferocity unseen by

“The Hitler Youth was founded in 1926” (“The Nazi Party”). As stated by Meinecke, “The Hitler Youth is not a boy scout or a girl guide organization… it is a compulsory Nazi formation which has consciously sought to breed hate, treachery, and cruelty into the minds and souls of every German child. It is in the true sense of the word education for death” (Conley). Hitler “based the Hitler Youth on anti-intellectualism, focusing on military training in preparation for becoming a soldier at 18” ("The Nazi Party”). The Hitler Youth was split up throughout the world, with some of the groups sent as far away as South America. “Baldur von Schirach was appointed the Reich Youth Leader” (“The Nazi Party”). There were age restrictions for the German Youth under Hitler. “German Youth could join the Hitler Youth beginning at the age of 10” (“The Nazi Party”). Hitler thought that the Hitler youth would help the “Third Reich last 1000 years” (Conley). The Hitler Youth played a major part in Hitler’s ultimate plan to eliminate the Jews, the

Hitler Youth Whether it was the gas chambers, the murder trains, or the experiments used on the jews, all around, the holocaust was one of the worst things that has happened in the history of all humanity. This inhumane treatment was normalized at that time since it was so common; the nazi party wanted to keep it that way. Hate is something to be taught, and the best way to learn is to be taught as children. Thus, creating Hitler Youth. Founded in Munich, 1923, the association barely made it to a thousand members, and gradually increased over time.

In October of 1936 the Hitler made Hitler youth a mandatory membership, conscripted all German boys aged ten into the HJ as well. The laws required boys age ten and over to join but there were younger boys as little as 6 years old fighting to join the Jungvolk, which was the voluntary HJ. The young boys wanted to be a part of a group and fit in, and most of all wanted to wear a uniform. Alfons Heck described his infatuation with the HJ uniforms, comparing it to being part of a sports team and having pride in wearing your own teams’ jersey.

Adolf Hitler was one of the most powerful dictators in the 20th century. After World War One, he rose to power and eventually took over the German government in 1933. He established concentration camps and the Hitler Youth Group. Hitler believed the Jews were a threat to the Aryan supremacy. Millions of Jews were sent to concentration camps, where they were either starved to death or gassed in gas chambers. This resulted in the death of over six million Jews. Hitler not only brainwashed the Nazis into thinking they were superior, but he started to convert them at a young age, around 10 -18 years of age. He wanted to occupy the minds of the young before they could begin to think for themselves. The Hitler Youth was created in the 1920’s and by the time Hitler took over the German government in 1933, the group stood at 100 000 members. Hitler made it clear as to what he expected the German children to think: “The weak must be chiselled away. I want young men and women who can suffer pain. A young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp’s steel.”. Up until 1939, youths could avoid doing any active service if they paid their subscription. But in 1939, the legal obligation was reaffirmed with the Jugenddienstpflicht law which conscripted all youths to join whether their parents objected or not. Once Hitler had control of the Jews and the Nazis, he had one more thing to do, and that was to gain more territory. On September 1st, 1939, Hitler launched an invasion of Poland. Britain and France realized their alliance meant nothing and declared war against Germany and therefore World War II had begun. Hitler cared more about holding all the power and expansionism than his