How Did Young People React to the Nazi Regime?

• Hitler aimed to control every aspect of life in germany
• Nazis had reorganised every aspect of the school curriculum to make children loyal to them

  • learnt that Germany army was ‘stabbed in the back’ by weak politicians who had made peace
  • told the hardships of the 1920s were caused by Jews squeezing profits
  • history studies would have made you loyal to the Führer
  • biology lessons informed them that Aryan race was superior in intelligence and strength to the Untermenschen or sub-human Jews and Slavs
  • maths questions would include Jew degradation as well
• As a member of the Hitler Youth or League of German Maidens, you would march in exciting parades with loud bands

  • would be physically fit and a strong cross-country runner, confident at reading maps
  • leisure time would be devoted to Hitler and Nazis
  • summer camps would teach you how to camp out doors
  • if you were a boy, you would know how to clean a rifle and keep it in good conditions
• At home, you might feel alienated from your parents because they are not as keen on the Nazis as your are

  • your family would except your first loyalty to be your family but Hitler Youth leaders makes it clear that your first loyalty is Hitler
  • you wouldn’t understand why people were mad about the Nazi regulations on working practices
  • parents find the idea of Nazi inspectors as weird but for you, it would be normal
• Many young people were attracted to the Nazi youth movements by the leisure opportunities they offered

  • there were no alternatives - all other youth organizations were absorbed or made illegal
  • however, only half of all german boys were members in 1933 and 15% of girls
• Volksgemeinschaft - people’s community
• Children of Germany didn’t go to university

  • don’t want higher education
  • more educated = more liberal
• Girls should be good Aryan wives and mother
• Indoctrinating the youth into their Nazism ideology allowed them to suvive in Germany
• Central focus to ‘leader principle’

  • focused on submission to authority and culture of hero worship
  • strong bias to deeds rather than thoughhts
• Boys studied:

  • history
  • eugenics
  • PE - compulsory boxing
• Girls studied:

  • home economics - sewing, cooking, budegting
  • eugenics
  • PE
• 1938 - Jewish children banned from education
• Teachers had to be approved

  • go on course runs by National Socialist Teachers Alliance
  • 1933 - 96% of teachers belongedd to Nazi Party
  • Jewish teachers fired
• Teachers went to summer school so they could teach Nazi ideology correctly

  • students encouraged to inform the authorities if Nazi values weren’t taught
• Portraits of Hitler and Swastikas were hung up
• Textbook & the curriculum changes

  • curriculum must reflect greatness, supremacy, and anti-semitism
  • rewrote History & Biology textbooks
  • 1930s - religious education banned
  • PE was vital - at least 5 hours sessions
  • Eugenics added to the curriculum
  • Chemistry and maths reduced
• Membership in youth organizations was voluntary and then became compulsory in 1936
• Boys activities:

  • military training
  • shooting
  • cleaning rifles
  • prepare to be soldiers
• Girls activities:

  • sewing
  • cooking
  • domestic tasks
  • race
  • motherhoods
• Both genders did:

  • marching
  • physical activity
  • cross country
  • map reading
• 1936 - Hitler youth had 6 million members

  • For some young people, they went to enjoy the activities and tuned out when ideology was preached
• 1930s - Juvenile crime rose

  • 170,000 convicted of crime in 1939 alone
  • youth resistance rose through the war