Hitler Youth Movement
The Hitler Youth Movement was seen a logical step taken by the Nazi party to align with Hitler's belief that the future of Nazi Germany was its youth. Hitler had a clear idea of what he wanted his future Nazi’s to physically and mentally reflect; “a young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard as Krupp's steel," (HistoryLearningSite.co.uk., 2014). This statement from 1938 by Hitler shows how extreme his views were about his ideal Aryan race. This source can be seen as a primary example of the times, as this was when Hitler was Fuhrer of Germany, and when the Youth Movement was becoming compulsory to adolescents. This source gives an insight into Hitler’s ideals at the time of the movement.
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The Hitler Youth Movement was the foremost tool in helping the Nazis form the beliefs, thinking and actions of German youth that Hitler desired. Youth leaders used securely organised group activities and staged propaganda events such as ‘mass rallies full of ritual and spectacle’ to create the illusion of one national community reaching across class and religious divisions that characterized Germany before 1933 (United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2014).
The Hitler Youth Movement was seen to be as important as a child’s education. The Nazis at this point had succeeded in taking over education and Nazifying it. However, “Hitler wanted to occupy the minds of the young Nazi Germany even more,” (HistoryLearningSite.co.uk., 2014), states a historian from History Learning Site.co.uk. This historian’s view can be seen as both reliable and relevant as it corroborates many other historian’s views as well as supports contextual information from the webpage; ‘Hitler Youth’.
The Hitler Youth Movement was seen to be as important as a child’s education. The Nazis at this point had succeeded in taking over education and Nazifying it. However, “Hitler wanted to occupy the minds of the young Nazi Germany even more,” (HistoryLearningSite.co.uk., 2014), states a historian from History Learning Site.co.uk. This historian’s view can be seen as both reliable and relevant as it corroborates many other historian’s views as well as supports contextual information from the webpage; ‘Hitler Youth’.
In 1923 this movement was put in place, and by 1933 their membership was at an all-time high of on average 100,000 children (HistoryLearningSite.co.uk., 2014). Hitler abolished all other youth movements when he came to power therefore his program was the only opportunity, giving an indication as to their rapidly increasing membership rates at this point. From 1933 the membership rates then grew again from 100,000 to 4 million (HistoryLearningSite.co.uk., 2014). By 1936, it was compulsory for all children to join Hitler Youth, and by 1939 it was reinforced to a greater extent that each German child was enrolled.
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Nationalist pride and a movement for political change were prominent reasons for participating in Hitler Youth. It is easy to understand that an adolescent would want to belong to a large, dominant community that ensured them protection. This combined with excitement of adventure, camaraderie, physical activity and fear of being ostracised became exceedingly encouraging. Hitler knew all of this, and this is what he offered in Hitler Youth, allowing it to become something that youth wanted to be a part of, and not had to. In 1938, Hitler made the statement;
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This quote shows Hitler’s radicalness towards the Hitler Youth Movement and how he always had another plan for fear that the other didn’t achieve all he wanted it to. This quote, stated in 1938 was when the movement began gaining an influx of members, therefore this quote it both relevant and contextualised. The Hitler Youth Movement was a rational step taken by the Nazi party to reach out to all of Germany’s youth and shape them to be Hitler’s ideal future Nazis.