Nazi Policies - Youth

What was the Nazi view on the young?

Nazi policy towards the young was focused on shaping the youth into the Nazis of tomorrow.

What were the aims of the Nazi policy towards the young?

The Nazis had 3 key aims:

• ❖ To create future generations of loyal Nazi Party supporters.
• ❖ To ensure children were strong and healthy so they would produce children of their own.
• ❖ To prepare them for their future roles, girls as housewives and mothers, and boys as soldiers and workers.

What organisations did the Nazis set up for the young?

The Nazis set up a National Socialist German Students' League.

When were the Nazi youth groups set up?

The National Socialist German Students' League was formed in 1926.

When were the Nazi youth groups made compulsory?

In March 1939 it became compulsory for each child to join the relevant Nazi youth group.

What Nazi youth organisations were there for boys?

There were different groups set up for boys dependent on their age:

• ❖ Little Fellows, or Pimpfe, for six to ten year olds.
• ❖ German Young People, or Deutsche Jungvolk, for ten to 14 year olds.
• ❖ Hitler Youth, or Hitler Jugend, for 14 to 18 year olds.

What were the activities for boys in the Hitler Youth during the Nazi regime?

In the Hitler Youth the boys received political training on Nazi beliefs and views, physical training such as hiking and sports, and military training such as map skills and weapons training.

What Nazi youth organisations were there for girls?

There were 2 main groups set up for girls, dependent on their age:

• ❖ Young Maidens, or Jungmädel, for ten to 14 years olds.
• ❖ League of German Maidens, or Bund Deutscher Mädel, for 14 to 21 year olds.

What activities did young girls do in the League of German Maidens youth group in Nazi Germany?

In the League of German Maidens, girls received political training on Nazi ideas, physical training such as sports, and training on how to be a mother and housewife, such as learning cooking skills.

How effective were Nazi policies towards the youth?

Nazi policies towards the young were partially successful.

• ❖ Some children loved the Hitler Youth and fully embraced Nazi ideals. There are even examples of children informing the Gestapo about their own parents and teachers.
• ❖ Other children weren't as enthusiastic and hated the activities and ideals. The fact attendance of the Hitler Youth had to be made compulsory demonstrates this.
• ❖ Some went as far as to actively protest against the regime, such as the White Rose Group and the Edelweiss Pirates. The Nazis were clearly unable to indoctrinate all young people in Germany.