Young People in Nazi Germany (AQA GCSE History)
Revision Note
Written by: Zoe Wade
Reviewed by: Natasha Smith
Education and Youth in Nazi Germany - Summary
Hitler and the Nazi Party made many changes which affected Germany’s young people. Policies were targeted at both the establishment of youth groups and children’s education.
For male teenagers, membership in the Hitler Youth was focused on physical and military training. Hitler wanted to create an army for the future to ensure the protection of Nazi Germany. Teenage girls were encouraged to join the League of German Maidens, where they would develop skills such as cooking and needlework. While they were also expected to take part in physical activities, the Nazis wanted women to become capable mothers and produce healthy children.
Education in schools was also directed towards Nazi beliefs. There was a focus on Physical Education (PE), especially for the boys. Girls would learn about the importance of marrying ‘pure’ German men. The curriculum was tightly controlled and all teachers were expected to join the Nazi Teachers' League.
Nazi beliefs about the youth
Hitler and the Nazis wanted to create a Third Reich that would last a thousand years
Hitler was aware that adults in Nazi Germany had mixed opinions of the Nazi Party
Adults were more difficult to influence and change than young people
Control of the youth and future generations would ensure that the Nazi Party would always be supported
Education in Nazi Germany
Hitler knew that control of children’s education would allow him to create a generation of Nazis loyal to him
Bernhard Rust was made Education Minister in 1934 and made several changes to teachers and schools
Teachers
Those not loyal to the Nazi regime were sacked
They swore an oath of loyalty to Hitler and joined the Nazi Teachers’ League
Membership of the Nazi Party was also compulsory
They attended political education courses outlining key Nazi ideas
Around 200,000 teachers had attended courses by 1939
Teachers had several responsibilities at school
Taught students the Nazi salute
Began and ended each lesson with ‘Heil Hitler’
Placed posters, Nazi flags and a picture of Hitler in each classroom
Curriculum
Boys and girls were educated separately
The Nazis took control of the curriculum so that they could influence children’s beliefs
Changes to the curriculum in Nazi Germany
After 1935, all textbooks had to be approved by the Nazis
All books contained pictures of Hitler
Mein Kampf became a compulsory text
Events like the First World War were reworded to blame Jewish people and the "November Criminals"
Napolas
Napolas were schools for the most ‘gifted’ and racially pure children:
SS members replaced the traditional teachers
the emphasis was on sport and physical training
students went on to join the SS or police services
by 1939, there were 16 Napolas schools
Universities
Universities were under the same strict control as schools
Nazi officials selected university lecturers
Any lecturers who did not conform to the Nazi's political or religious ideas were fired
Universities adapted their courses to teach in line with Nazi ideas
A university education was not highly regarded in Nazi Germany
Focusing on education would distract from a man's military obligation or a woman's commitment to the home
Highly educated citizens may be more likely to criticise the Nazi regime
Examiner Tips and Tricks
A question could ask you in what ways were the youth affected by Nazi policies around education.
To score highly on this question, you need to explain the changes to education in Nazi Germany, the changes to the curriculum for example, and how this impacted the German youth.
Our exam skills pages give further guidance and advice on the 'In what ways' question
Youth organisations in Nazi Germany
The development of Nazi youth groups showed how fundamental the youth were to the Nazis
Nazi policies encouraged, and finally forced, all young Germans to attend Nazi youth groups
There were two main youth organisations in Nazi Germany
The Hitler Youth
The League of German Maidens
The Hitler Youth
Boys were eligible to join the Hitler Youth when they turned 14
At age 18, boys became members of the Nazi Party and worked or joined the armed forces
The activities of the Hitler Youth
The League of German Maidens
The Bund Deutscher Mädel or League of German Maidens (BDM) was the female equivalent of the Hitler Youth
They shared some similarities with the Hitler Youth
The activities of the League of German Maidens
How similar was the League of German Maidens to the Hitler Youth?
The Three 'Ks'
Activities focused on the ‘three Ks’
Kinder (children)
Kirche (church)
Küche (cooking)
How popular were the Nazi youth organisations?
Worked Example
Why might the authors of Interpretations A and B have a different interpretation about the Hitler Youth?
Explain your answer using Interpretations A and B and your contextual knowledge.
[4 marks]
Interpretation 1 - An autobiography called "Youth in the Third Reich" by Arno Klönne, published in 1982.
Klönne was a member of the Hitler Youth in the 1930s and recalls his experiences in his autobiography
'What I liked about the Hitler youth was the sense of togetherness. I was full of enthusiasm when I joined the Jungvolk at the age of ten. What boy isn’t fired by being presented with high ideals such as comradeship, loyalty and honour? The partnership of our camps was a model of Hitler’s partnership of the whole people and it was completely successful.'
Interpretation 2 - An account by Inge Scholl called "Students Against Tyranny: The Resistance of the White Rose, Munich, 1942–1943", translated and published in English in 1970.
Inge was the eldest sister of Hans and Sophie Scholl, who created the White Rose resistance movement. This account explains Hans' experience of the Hitler Youth.
'But when he returned we hardly dared trust our eyes. He looked tired, and on his face lay a great disappointment. We did not expect an explanation, but gradually we learned that the youth movement which had been held up to him as an ideal image was in reality something totally different from what he had imagined the Hitler Youth to be. Their drill and uniformity had been extended into every sphere of personal life.'
Answer
Interpretation B differs from Interpretation A due to the author's background and occupation. The author of Interpretation B is Inge Scholl, the eldest sister of Hans and Sophie Scholl (1). Therefore, it is more likely that she would state the damaging impact of the Hitler Youth on young boys like Hans and why this pushed them to protest against the Nazi regime (1).
However, Interpretation A is more likely to show how popular and enjoyable the Hitler Youth was. Interpretation A was by Arno Klönne, a member of the Hitler Youth (1). Therefore, it is likely that Klönne either truly enjoyed or was indoctrinated to remember the Hitler Youth positively (1).
Examiner Tips and Tricks
Question 3 in the AQA Germany, 1890–1945 exam will ask you to use the interpretations to decide which interpretation is more convincing.
More convincing interpretations could have one of the following:
more accurate knowledge
a greater understanding of the historical period
a more typical experience from the historical period
a more accepted point of view
Our exam skills pages give further guidance and advice on the 'Which interpretation is more convincing' question
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