Download 6 Young People hand out

Section Six: Young People
At the end of this you should be able to:
 State the aims the Nazis had for young people.
 Explain why the Hitler Youth appealed to some young people.
 Describe what activities there were in the Hitler Youth.
 Describe how the Nazis changed education.
 Explain why some young people disliked being in the Hitler Youth movement.
 Describe how the Edelweiss Pirates opposed the Nazis.
 Explain why the Hitler Youth changed after 1939.
1. Nazi aims for young people
Hitler wanted to turn young people into loyal Nazis (they were even encouraged to inform on their
parents). Boys would be made to be brave and fit so that they could become soldiers. Girls would be
taught to be fit and obedient to become mothers.
In order to do this the Nazi party set out to control all aspects of young people’s lives including their
time at school and their leisure time.
2. The Hitler Youth
The Hitler Youth was a successful movement before the Nazis came to power with 30% of all young
people already members. By 1939 over 80% of young Germans had joined.
It was separated into the Hitler Youth for boys and the League of German Maidens for girls. After
joining, the boy or girl swore an oath promising to love and be faithful to Hitler.
One of the key aims of the Hitler Youth was to prepare boys for a life in the army.
They did this with activities like hiking, running and jumping. They were also expected to listen to
talks on Nazi ideas and German history.
To become a member boys had to be able to complete a one and a half day cross country march, do
close combat exercises and jump out of a first floor window wearing full battledress.
3. The League of German Maidens
For girls the emphasis was on keeping fit and homebuilding to prepare them for mother hood and
marriage.
There was less emphasis on military training.
To become members girls had to complete somersaults, a tightrope walk and a two hour march or
100 metre swim, and know how to make a bed.
4. In Schools
The curriculum was re-designed to teach what the Nazis wanted people to think. Teachers who
refused to were sacked.
PE – three double lessons a week with boxing compulsory for boys. Girls were also taught homemaking and child care.
History – the unfair treaty of Versailles, the rise of the Nazis and the wickedness of Jews and
communists was taught.
Biology – Pupils were instructed on the Nazi racial ideal and the superiority of the ‘Aryan’ race.
German – lessons focused on German war heroes and the Nazi party.
Geography – Pupils were taught about the lands that had once been German and should now be retaken.
Maths – Nazi ideas were taught in maths as part of problem solving examples.
5. Did all young people support the Nazis?
Many young people enjoyed the leisure opportunities the movement offered and there were no
alternatives as all other youth organisations had been made illegal.
However, others hated the Hitler Youth and one in five young Germans never joined.
6. Edelweiss Pirates
Was the name used by the Nazis to classify all teenage anti-Nazi youth groups in Germany.
Groups called themselves different names: ‘The Roving Dudes’; the ‘Kittlebach Pirates’; the ‘Navajos’.
They angered the Nazis because they resisted the Nazis trying to control their lives: they sang songs
making fun of German and mocked or sometimes attacked HY members.
Their activities also caused the Nazi problems.
In Cologne they helped to shelter army deserters and escaped prisoners.
They also stole weapons and took part in an attack on the local Gestapo office.
The Nazi response was to round up members of the group and publicly hang them.
It’s the end, can you:
 State the aims the Nazis had for young people?
 Explain why the Hitler Youth appealed to some young people?
 Describe what activities there were in the Hitler Youth?
 Describe how the Nazis changed education?
 Explain why some young people disliked being in the Hitler Youth movement?
 Describe how the Edelweiss Pirates opposed the Nazis?
 Explain why the Hitler Youth changed after 1939?