The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend) was a Nazi youth organization created to indoctrinate German children and teenagers with Nazi ideology. Initially formed as the youth wing of the Nazi Party, it became an official state organization after Adolf Hitler came to power. The goal of the Hitler Youth was to teach young Germans to follow the policies of the Nazi Party and Adolf Hitler.
HITLER YOUTH – SUMMARY
The Hitler Youth existed from 1922 to 1945 and was the second oldest paramilitary Nazi group, founded one year after its adult counterpart, the Sturmabteilung (the SA). It was made up of the Hitlerjugend, for male youth ages 14–18; the younger boys’ section Deutsches Jungvolk for ages 10–14; and the girls’ section Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM, the League of German Girls). The Hitler Youth were viewed as future “Aryan supermen” and were indoctrinated in anti-Semitism and other aspects of Nazi ideology. The organization put more emphasis on physical and military training than on academic study as it sought to develop physically superior but obedient soldiers. Girls were taught domestic skills and prepared to be mothers of Aryan children.
Membership in the Hitler Youth became mandatory in 1936, and by the late 1930s, millions of German youths were involved. The organization replaced traditional schools and clubs, occupying nearly all aspects of a young person’s life, and instilled a sense of loyalty to the Nazi state over family or even religious faith. For instance, young Germans in the Hitler Youth were taught to report anyone, even parents or teachers, who criticized the Nazi regime.
The Hitler Youth was an important aspect of the Nazi Party’s control over the lives of the German people. It allowed the Nazi Party to begin to indoctrinate German youth in the ideology of the party which caused the Nazi Party to gain further support within German society. By entering the Hitler Youth, German youth were showing their nationalistic loyalty towards Germany and preparing for their future roles in the army. By the outbreak of World War II in 1939, nearly 8 million German youth were members of the organization and membership had become mandatory by a government order. In fact, nearly every young male was involved in the Hitler Youth in one way or another.
The Hitler Youth would also come to play an active role in the fighting of World War II. During the early years of the war, Hitler Youth members were tasked with mail delivery, radio service, fire service and anti-aircraft defense. However, as the war progressed and Germany began to suffer substantial losses, they turned towards the Hitler Youth to fill more important roles. For example, by the war’s end German youth were tasked with active roles in defending German strongholds in Europe, including: the Allied Invasion of Normandy and the Battle of Berlin.
The Hitler Youth was officially disbanded at the end of World War II, when Nazi Germany was defeated by the Allied Nations of Britain, Soviet Union and the United States.
HITLER YOUTH – SIGNIFICANCE
The Hitler Youth played an important role in sustaining Nazi control over German society. For instance, the establishment of the Hitler Youth helped create a generation of Germans who were deeply shaped by Nazi ideology. As such, it helped ensure loyalty to Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party by replacing traditional influences such as family and religion.
By making participation mandatory in 1936, the Nazi regime ensured nearly total control over German youth. The Hitler Youth also played a role in building the Nazi war machine, as many members were later recruited into the German forces that participated in the events of World War II and the Holocaust. Its significance lies not only in spreading Nazi ideology but also in demonstrating how authoritarian regimes manipulate and control the general population.
