Nazi Policies for Young People
This section explores the Nazis policies towards the young. Hitler and the Nazi Party saw the youth of Germany as the future of the Third Reich. Hitler spoke of his regime lasting for a thousand years, and to achieve this, he needed young people to be indoctrinated from an early age. The Nazis aimed to create a generation that was loyal, disciplined, physically strong, and unquestioning in their obedience to Hitler.
The Nazis controlled education and youth organisations to shape young minds, ensuring that children were raised as devoted Nazis who would serve the state as either soldiers or mothers.
Nazi Youth Organisations
From the age of 10, boys and girls were strongly encouraged to join Nazi youth organisations. By 1936, membership of the Hitler Youth and the League of German Maidens was made compulsory. By 1939, around 90% of German boys aged 14 and over were members of the Hitler Youth.
The Nazis offered exciting activities, a sense of belonging, and rewards to attract young people, while also pressuring parents and teachers to enforce membership.
The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend)
The Hitler Youth was designed to train boys to become future soldiers and devoted Nazis.
- Boys wore military-style uniforms and were expected to obey orders without question.
- Activities included:
- Military-style drills and discipline
- Rifle practice and weapons training
- Hiking, camping, and survival skills
- Sports and physical fitness training
- Political education, including Nazi propaganda and Hitler’s speeches
- Boys were encouraged to report teachers, parents, or friends who criticised Hitler or the Nazi Party.
- At age 18, many boys moved from the Hitler Youth into the German army or SS.
The League of German Maidens (Bund Deutscher Mädel - BDM)
The League of German Maidens aimed to prepare girls for motherhood and their role in Nazi society.
- Girls wore a uniform of a blue skirt, white blouse, and heavy marching shoes.
- Activities included:
- Physical fitness training, as strong women were seen as ideal mothers for producing healthy Aryan children.
- Learning domestic skills, such as sewing, cooking, and childcare.
- Marching, camping, and community service to build discipline.
- Political indoctrination, teaching loyalty to Hitler and Nazi racial beliefs.
- Girls were discouraged from pursuing higher education or careers. Their primary duty was to become wives and mothers.
Nazi Control of Education
The Nazis used schools as another tool to brainwash children and shape them into loyal followers of Hitler. Teachers, subjects, and textbooks were all controlled to ensure students absorbed Nazi ideology.
Teachers Under Nazi Rule
- All teachers had to join the Nazi Teachers’ League.
- They were vetted for loyalty and had to promote Nazi values.
- Teachers who opposed Nazi ideas were sacked or even arrested.
Changes to the School Curriculum
The curriculum was rewritten to fit Nazi beliefs, focusing on militarism, racial superiority, and obedience.
| Subject | Changes Under the Nazis |
|---|---|
| History | Lessons glorified Germany’s military past and Hitler’s rise to power. The Treaty of Versailles was portrayed as unfair and humiliating. |
| Biology | Taught eugenics (racial science), claiming Aryans were superior and Jews were inferior. Children learned about selective breeding to improve the German race. |
| Race Studies | A new subject that promoted Nazi racial theories, reinforcing anti-Semitic and nationalist ideas. |
| Physical Education | Increased to five hours per week to ensure boys were fit for military service and girls were strong enough for childbirth. |
| Mathematics | Used to spread Nazi ideology, e.g. solving problems about the costs of caring for disabled people, suggesting they were a burden on society. |
| Geography | Emphasised Germany’s need for Lebensraum (living space) and taught that Germans had the right to expand into Eastern Europe. |
| Religious Studies | Reduced in importance or removed altogether. The Nazis promoted pagan Germanic beliefs instead of Christianity. |
The goal of Nazi education was not to encourage critical thinking but to create loyal Nazi followers who would never question Hitler’s rule.
Youth Resistance to Nazi Control
Despite the Nazis’ efforts to indoctrinate young people, some resisted their control. Groups of young people formed to oppose Nazi beliefs and restrictions.
The Edelweiss Pirates
- Working-class youths who refused to join the Hitler Youth.
- They listened to banned music (jazz and swing) and mocked Nazi officials.
- Some groups went further by helping army deserters and distributing anti-Nazi leaflets.
- The Nazis saw them as a threat – in 1944, 12 Edelweiss Pirates were publicly executed in Cologne.
The Swing Youth
- Middle-class youths who rejected Nazi rules on culture.
- They listened to American jazz, danced, and had long hair and liberal attitudes.
- Though not overtly political, they represented rebellion against Nazi control.
The White Rose Group
- Formed by university students in Munich.
- Led by Hans and Sophie Scholl, they secretly distributed anti-Nazi leaflets calling for resistance.
- They were caught and executed in 1943.
While most young people conformed to Nazi rule, these resistance groups showed that not all German youth accepted Nazi ideas without question.
Nazi policies towards young people were designed to create a generation that was completely loyal to Hitler. By controlling youth groups, education, and even entertainment, the Nazis shaped children into obedient soldiers and mothers. However, not all young people accepted this control, and some brave individuals resisted Nazi indoctrination, risking their lives in the process.
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