overall aims

In my great educative work I am beginning with the young.  We older ones are used up … We are rotten to the marrow.  But my magnificent youngsters!  Are there finer ones in the world?  With them I can make a new world.
My teaching is hard.  Weakness has to be knocked out of them … A violently active, dominating, intrepid, brutal youth – that is what I am after … It must be indifferent to pain.  There must be no weakness or tenderness in it …
I will have no intellectual training.  Knowledge is ruin to my young men … One thing they must learn, self-command!​
A. Hitler, 1939

Interpretations

I remember with more pleasure the weekend outings, the hikes, sports, campfires and youth hostelling. Occasionally there would be field exercises with neighbouring groups. I began to play truant from school as work for the Hitler Youth took up more and more of my time and energy. I would often leave the house at 5.00am and only arrive at school for the second or third lesson.
From Account Rendered by Melita Maschmann (1964). Maschmann joined the League of German Girls in March 1933. She was arrested after the war as a Nazi Party member, and was sent to prison.
When I was older, I became a Hitler Youth leader. I found the need for absolute obedience unpleasant. The Nazis preferred people not to have a mind of their own. In our troop the activities consisted almost entirely of endless military drill. Even if sport or shooting practice or a singsong was planned, we always had to drill first.
Adapted from an account by a young German, Arno Klönn, whose parents were teachers and had access to banned books. In his account he remembers his time in the Hitler Youth during 1940.
At the time, it was smashing. When we went on our marches the police stopped the traffic and passers-by had to give the Nazi salute. We were poor and suddenly had fine uniforms. I’d never been on holiday; now they were taking us to camp by lakes and mountains. I am ashamed to say now that, to us, Hitler was the greatest human being in the world. At rallies we couldn’t hear what he was saying – but we all screamed anyway. When war came I was so excited. I thought, ‘Now, I can show the Fuhrer what I’m made of’.
Henrik Metelmann in his book called ‘Through Hell for Hitler’, published in 1970. Metelmann was a member of the Hitler Youth in the 1930s and he is referring to his experiences in this extract.
We could not believe it. I remember that the leaders had told Hans that his songs were not allowed. Why should he be forbidden to sing those songs just because they had been created by other races? Then came the racial legislation and our Jewish classmates had to leave school. We were living in a society then, where hate and lies had become normal. No one was safe from arrest for the slightest unguarded remark, and some disappeared forever for no good reason. Unseen ears seemed to be listening to everything that was spoken in Germany.
Inge Scholl in her book called ‘Students Against Tyranny’ published in 1952. Inge Scholl’s brother Hans and her sister Sophie were members of the White Rose group.

the Hitler youth organisation

What conclusions can we draw from these clips about the Hitler Youth?

Controlling education

Essay Practice
  • Education was the most important way by which the Nazi Regime tried to influence German Youth. How far do you agree? [40]
  • Use the plan opposite to think about this question, then using this website find supporting information/ evidence for each point.
Education (Everyday)
  • Aims
  • Controls over teachers 
  • Controls over textbooks & curriculum​

Other factors
  • Youth Movements - overall aims
  • Boys
  • Girls
Propaganda
  • Special Schools - Napoli / Castle Schools
  • Messages / Values



Thinking: This question ask you to think about the ‘methods’ the regime used to influence German youth, it does not provide any comment on whether they were successful or not. How do you think you could measure success, what evidence would you need?