Nazi Policy On German Youth Essay

Evaluate the impact of Nazi policy on young people in Germany between 1933 and 1939

During Nazi control, there were great changes made to how young people were brought up. These changes impacted on their daily life. Hitler viewed youths as the future of Germany and wanted them to carry on the Nazi values. Hitler redesigned the school system to focus almost entirely on Nazi beliefs. Hitler created Nazi youth groups that enabled mass congregation of young people devoted to the Nazi beliefs. Through diverse policy changes, the Nazis were able to persuade many young people to grow up as highly devoted Nazi supporters. Nazi policy had a large impact on young people in various different ways.

Firstly, Hitler sought to bring up a new generation of strong Germans who advocated and disseminated all the Nazi values. The Nazis placed enormous effort on encouraging the younger generation to closely follow the Nazi way of living. They wanted boys to grow up to be strong independent men who could provide for their family, and ultimately to fight in war. The Nazis had a very traditional way of viewing women and believed they should grow up to be wives and raise the next generation of young

This level of control took place through youth groups. Hitler claimed that ‘These boys and girls enter our organisations at ten years of age, and often for the first time get a little fresh air’. There were two youth groups set up. One group was for German boys called ‘Hitler Youth’ and one group was for girls called ‘The League of German Maidens’. In 1932, 100,000 boys enrolled in Hitler Youth, and two years later this number has escalated to 3 million boys. By 1939, it was compulsory for all boys to join Hitler Youth. Hitler Youth became the single most important facet in a young boy’s life. After school and on Saturdays, boys would meet up and participate in activities promoting Hitler’s cause. The League of