How the Youths reacted to the Nazi Regime (CH4) Flashcards
Why did the Nazis want to control the young people?
- He believed the old were weak and frivolous - bearing the burden of a humiliating past (WW1 and the versailles)
- ‘Magnificent youngsters were the finest
- They obtained desired characteristics - Aryans
- He wanted a new start with them - a new and greater world
What were the three main aims of the Nazi Youth groups?
- Control the activities of young people outside the classroom
- Make them loyal to Hitler
- Train boys to be soldiers and prepare girls to be wives and mothers
What were the 4 youth groups - boys and girls?
- German Young People (10-13)
- Hitler Youth (14-18)
- League of young girls (10-13)
- League of German Maidens (14-21)
What course would teachers have attended?
the National Socialist Teachers Alliance
What were lessons like in school?
- Lessons were restructured to focus on how great Germany was
- How the German army was “stabbed in the back”
- They’d learn how the hardships in the 1920’s were caused by Jews
- Awash with Nazi ideas and how they were a special member of the Aryan race
- They altered worded math questions to make Jews sound like awful people, and themselves superior
What were the activities like in the Hitler Youth (BOYS) ?
- They prioritised physical fitness and military training
- Learned how to clean a rifle
- Boys were taken to camps in the countryside
- They would receive a Nazi badge and a HJ (Hitler Youth) knife if they passed their tests
- Cross country running
What were activities like in the League of German Maidens (GIRLS)?
- They were taught sewing, cooking and how to be good mothers
- Advanced child development training - how to raise a child
- Racial science - how to pick the correct Aryan partner
- Camping, hiking and cross country running (needed to keep fit)
What attracted the young people to the Youth groups?
- Many of them enjoyed the leisure opportunities they offered
- Appreciated the sense of belonging and importance they felt as a member
Why did some people reject/oppose the Nazi Youth movements?
- They were bored when they were taught about the politics and Nazi ideas
- Many saw that they were politically programmed to obey orders
- Many only joined the HJ because they received threatening letters
What were the three resistance youth groups?
- Edelweiss Pirates
- The Swing Youth
- The White Rose
What were the Edelweiss Pirates? How did they oppose HJ?
- They were working class teenagers (14-17)
- They sang songs but changed the lyrics to mock Germany
- When they groups of HJ, they taunted and sometimes attacked them
- The gestapo couldn’t do much because they needed future workers and future soldiers
What happened in 1944 with the Cologne Pirates?
Barthel Schink, the 16 year old leader of the cologne pirates, together with 12 other members of this group, were hung by the gestapo publicly.
What was the White Rose group? How did they oppose the HJ?
- Set up by Hans and Sophie Scholl and professor Kurt Huber at Munich University in 1941
- Against the Nazi regime
- Distributed pamphlets to make people more aware of Nazi activities
- Painted anti-Nazi slogans on the wall
- In 1943, the leaders were arrested by the gestapo and were executed
What was the Swing Youth? How did they oppose the HJ?
- Mainly of middle-class teenagers
- Developed a rival culture
- Went to parties where they listened to English and American music - Jazz
- They accepted Jews in the bars
- Talked about having sex
Give 4 reasons why the young people didn’t join the HJ
- Desired a freedom of expression
- Didn’t like the segregation of sexes
- Some were simply anti-Nazi
- Wanted to dance and listen to music
- Didn’t like the regimentation of the Hitler youth
- Didn’t agree with the policies towards the Jews
- preferred English/American culture
- Dress as they liked
