hitler's youth
Hitler's Youth also known as Hitler-Jugend was a boys recreational organization founded in 1926 as a way for Adolf Hitler to gain power over the youth of Germany. Programs were created for boys between the ages 10 to 18 that were designed to instill the idea of hatred toward Jewish peoples and the Nazi ideology into the minds of these boys through games and sporting activities that they enjoyed. Many of the boys in Germany attended Hiter's Youth summer camps with excitement and pride. Here the boys believed they were growing into men. They were scolded if they cried or showed any emotion that was anything less than fierce and weak boys were gained up on by the strong. A strong belief of survival of the fittest was enforced into the boys minds and at group gatherings they lived by that mentality.
Boys aged six years old to ten years old attended the "little fellows" and participated in outdoor activities like camping. Once boys were ten years old they joined the young people of Germany where they continued to partake in sports and outdoor actives that were now emphasizing military activities like parading. These boys learned a lot about the Nazi ideology and were taught to believe in racial purity and antisemitism. At the age 14 boys began to train for war and participating in actives that were completely directed at the war until the age of 18 when the boys became soldiers. All boys dressed in uniforms and sang Hitler Youth songs along with Nazi anthems. In 1936 the participation in Hitler's Youth became mandatory in Germany. Many "young people of Germany" attended weekly meetings with the Hitler's Youth. These boys were commanded to do things like door to door collection of scrap metals and delivery of draft notices throughout their communities.
On September 1st in 1939 Hitler's armies invaded Poland, from here six years of war would follow with the full participation of Hitler's Youth. By this time the Hitler's Youth compromised approximately 90 percent of Germany and was totalled at 8.8 million children. With the demand of the war and the need for soldiers a large amount of the Hitler Youth leaders were leaving to join the army and the younger age groups were being put in charge of platoons. It was common for sixteen and seventeen year old boys to be the leaders of as many as 500 other boys. The idea of the different age classifications in the Hitler's Youth disappeared and all boys from 10 - 16 were put into the same training. The purpose of Hitler's Youth was no longer to gain power over the youth of Germany but to train soldiers. When British air raids began in August 1940 Hitler's Youth saw their first action as air raid wardens and anti-aircraft gun assistance in Berlin and other cities. By 1941 when America joined he war a massive influx of air power was brought into England and as allies increased their fight many German children needed to be evacuated from threatened cities. The Nazi's evacuated these children and relocated them to camps called KLV. There were sections for both boys and girls and very quickly the KLV replaced schooling from the cities. The schools were separated between boys and girls and both focused more on the duties of "good" German peoples than traditional schooling and education. Girls were taught how to tend to a home and husband and to stay away from Jewish people. They helped nurses with tending to wounded soldiers and respected the value of racial purity. In May 1942 WELS (defense strengthening camps) went into action where 16 to 18 year old boys entered three week training camps to become soldiers. They were taught how to handle German infantry weapons such as hand grenades, machine guns and bazookas.
As the war progressed Hitler became more desperate for soldiers and turned entirely to the Hitlers Youth program. In 1944 American troops reported finding armed 8 year old boys at Aachen in western Germany. At this point in the war the girls were operating 88mm anti-aircraft guns along side the boys. On April 20 1945 Hitler awarded 12 year old boys who were members of Hitler's Youth and the German Army with iron crossed of heroism for their defense of Berlin. After Hitlers death the Hitler's Youth was abandoned by Arthur Axmann who had led them in the Berlin defenses. On May 7th 1945 the war was unconditionally declared over leaving millions of angered, war driven, and abandoned Hitlers Youth.
Visit: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/hitleryouth.html for more information!
Boys aged six years old to ten years old attended the "little fellows" and participated in outdoor activities like camping. Once boys were ten years old they joined the young people of Germany where they continued to partake in sports and outdoor actives that were now emphasizing military activities like parading. These boys learned a lot about the Nazi ideology and were taught to believe in racial purity and antisemitism. At the age 14 boys began to train for war and participating in actives that were completely directed at the war until the age of 18 when the boys became soldiers. All boys dressed in uniforms and sang Hitler Youth songs along with Nazi anthems. In 1936 the participation in Hitler's Youth became mandatory in Germany. Many "young people of Germany" attended weekly meetings with the Hitler's Youth. These boys were commanded to do things like door to door collection of scrap metals and delivery of draft notices throughout their communities.
On September 1st in 1939 Hitler's armies invaded Poland, from here six years of war would follow with the full participation of Hitler's Youth. By this time the Hitler's Youth compromised approximately 90 percent of Germany and was totalled at 8.8 million children. With the demand of the war and the need for soldiers a large amount of the Hitler Youth leaders were leaving to join the army and the younger age groups were being put in charge of platoons. It was common for sixteen and seventeen year old boys to be the leaders of as many as 500 other boys. The idea of the different age classifications in the Hitler's Youth disappeared and all boys from 10 - 16 were put into the same training. The purpose of Hitler's Youth was no longer to gain power over the youth of Germany but to train soldiers. When British air raids began in August 1940 Hitler's Youth saw their first action as air raid wardens and anti-aircraft gun assistance in Berlin and other cities. By 1941 when America joined he war a massive influx of air power was brought into England and as allies increased their fight many German children needed to be evacuated from threatened cities. The Nazi's evacuated these children and relocated them to camps called KLV. There were sections for both boys and girls and very quickly the KLV replaced schooling from the cities. The schools were separated between boys and girls and both focused more on the duties of "good" German peoples than traditional schooling and education. Girls were taught how to tend to a home and husband and to stay away from Jewish people. They helped nurses with tending to wounded soldiers and respected the value of racial purity. In May 1942 WELS (defense strengthening camps) went into action where 16 to 18 year old boys entered three week training camps to become soldiers. They were taught how to handle German infantry weapons such as hand grenades, machine guns and bazookas.
As the war progressed Hitler became more desperate for soldiers and turned entirely to the Hitlers Youth program. In 1944 American troops reported finding armed 8 year old boys at Aachen in western Germany. At this point in the war the girls were operating 88mm anti-aircraft guns along side the boys. On April 20 1945 Hitler awarded 12 year old boys who were members of Hitler's Youth and the German Army with iron crossed of heroism for their defense of Berlin. After Hitlers death the Hitler's Youth was abandoned by Arthur Axmann who had led them in the Berlin defenses. On May 7th 1945 the war was unconditionally declared over leaving millions of angered, war driven, and abandoned Hitlers Youth.
Visit: http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/hitleryouth.html for more information!