Opposition Within the Army and Youth Groups

This section explains opposition within the army and youth groups during World War Two. Despite the Nazis’ ruthless control over information and surveillance of the population, opposition did exist within Germany. However, due to the Gestapo’s extensive network of informants, it is difficult to determine the exact extent of resistance.

During the early years of the war, most Germans reluctantly supported the war effort, particularly in the fight against the Soviet Union, which Nazi propaganda portrayed as a struggle against racial and ideological enemies. However, as the war dragged on and Allied bombing intensified, enthusiasm declined. By 1945, when German cities were in ruins and enemy forces had entered the Reich, morale collapsed entirely.

Opposition Within the Army

Although the Wehrmacht (German armed forces) was largely loyal to Hitler, some senior officers grew disillusioned with his leadership, particularly after Germany’s military failures in the Soviet Union and North Africa. There were two major attempts to remove Hitler during the war:

The 1939 Military Coup Attempt

📅 October 1939 – Following the successful invasion of Poland, Hitler ordered preparations for an invasion of France through Belgium.
⚔️ Some army officers, particularly in the intelligence services, feared another disastrous war on two fronts, similar to World War One.
🕵️Admiral Wilhelm Canaris, head of military intelligence (Abwehr), sought support for a military coup against Hitler. He hoped that leading officers in the Wehrmacht would remove Hitler before he could launch another war against the Western Allies.
❄️ However, a harsh winter delayed Hitler’s invasion plans. By spring 1940, German victories in France and the Low Countries restored support for Hitler within the army, and the coup collapsed before it could begin.

The July 1944 Assassination Attempt – Operation Valkyrie

📅 20 July 1944 – By this stage in the war, Germany was facing defeat on both the Eastern and Western Fronts.
🎖️ A group of senior army officers, led by Colonel Claus von Stauffenberg, attempted to assassinate Hitler at his headquarters, the Wolf’s Lair, in East Prussia.
💣 Stauffenberg planted a bomb in a briefcase under the conference table during a military meeting attended by Hitler. The explosion killed four people but Hitler survived, shielded by a heavy wooden table.
🔫Immediate aftermath: Stauffenberg and his co-conspirators were arrested and executed the same night.
🩸Brutal crackdown: Over 5,000 suspected opponents were rounded up and executed, including prominent military figures.
⚔️Field Marshal Erwin Rommel, one of Germany’s most famous generals, was implicated in the plot. As a popular war hero, Hitler did not want to execute him publicly, so Rommel was forced to commit suicide to protect his family.

This failed coup confirmed Hitler’s paranoia and resulted in a major purge of the German army, ensuring that any further opposition was crushed.

Opposition from Youth Groups

While most young people were expected to join the Hitler Youth (for boys) or the League of German Girls (for girls), some rebelled against Nazi control and formed alternative youth movements. These groups opposed Nazi ideology in different ways, from political resistance to cultural defiance.

The Edelweiss Pirates

🌿 The Edelweiss Pirates were working-class youths who opposed the militaristic nature of the Hitler Youth.
🎵 They sang anti-Nazi songs, wore distinctive badges (often featuring an edelweiss flower), and avoided Hitler Youth activities.
🏕️ They hiked and camped in the countryside to escape Nazi indoctrination.
👊 In some cities, they attacked members of the Hitler Youth, seeing them as Nazi informants.

🔗 Crackdown:

• 1942: Over 700 Edelweiss Pirates were arrested.
• 1944: In Cologne, a group of Edelweiss Pirates killed the local Gestapo chief. In response, 13 members were publicly hanged as a warning to others.

The White Rose Group

📚 Formed in 1942 by students at Munich University, including Hans and Sophie Scholl.
📰 They wrote and distributed anti-Nazi leaflets, calling for passive resistance against Hitler’s regime.
🚶 They organised public demonstrations and painted anti-Nazi slogans on walls.

🚨 Arrest and Execution:
📅February 1943: The Gestapo arrested Hans and Sophie Scholl, along with their friend Christoph Probst.
⚖️ They were put on trial and sentenced to death by guillotine the same day.
📝 In their final leaflet, they urged Germans to reject Nazi rule and prepare for a future of freedom and democracy.

Despite their small numbers, the White Rose Group became a symbol of moral resistance in Nazi Germany.

Swing Youth and Jazz Youth

🎷 These groups were middle-class teenagers who rejected the strict discipline and militarism of Nazi culture.
💃 They embraced American and British culture, listening to swing and jazz music, which the Nazis denounced as ‘degenerate’ and linked to Black and Jewish musicians.
🍻 They drank alcohol, danced in underground clubs, and mocked Nazi officials.

Nazi Crackdown:

• The Gestapo arrested and beat Swing Youth members caught at illegal dances.
• Some were sent to concentration camps for their ‘un-German’ behaviour.

Conclusion

Although the Nazis maintained an iron grip on German society, opposition did exist—even during the war. Resistance came from within the military, with failed assassination attempts on Hitler, and from young people who rejected Nazi ideology.

However, due to brutal repression, most opposition movements failed to make a significant impact. The failed July 1944 plot resulted in a massive crackdown on the army, ensuring that no further resistance emerged from military leaders. Meanwhile, youth groups such as the Edelweiss Pirates and the White Rose were smashed by the Gestapo, and cultural rebels in the Swing Youth were harshly punished.

Ultimately, the Nazis' tight control and use of terror meant that opposition never became strong enough to threaten Hitler’s rule—until Germany’s defeat in 1945 brought the regime to an end.