Establishment of the Nazi Party

Question 1

What were the youth laws and when?

Answer 1

First Hitler Youth Law (Dec 1 1936),
- To make membership in the Hitler Youth mandatory for all eligible German youth
Second Hitler Youth Law (March 25 1938)
- The law explicitly states that German children must join the Hitler Youth at age 10 and severe through 18 years. Penalty are provided for guardian who do not comply, including confinement. The Law also gives officers the authority to require participation
Third Hitler Youth Law (1941)
- Apparently designed to limit exemptions granted and to make the compliance for evasion more severe

Question 2

What did the Youth find attractive about the groups?

Answer 2

Marches (uniform) looked smart and organized
Meant that they had a constant role in society
Made them feel important or powerful
Praised for agreeing

Question 3

What were the changes in education?

Answer 3

• Teachers were required to join the Nationalsozialistischer Lehrerbund (NSLB), National Socialist Teachers Association
• Exceptional boys would go to “Adolf Hitler Schools” where they took part in tough physical training and achieved positions in the Wehrmacht, SS or went to University. The very best pupils went to ‘’Order Castles’’ where they played war games with live ammunition.

Question 4

What were the alternative youth groups?

Answer 4

• Edelweiss Pirates
• Swing Youth
• White Rose group

Question 5

Describe the Edelweiss Pirates

Answer 5

• Rooted in working class
• The earliest recorded groups existed in 1934 and membership was around 2000 by 1939
• These groups were mainly just rebellious youngsters trying to escape the instructive Nazi system
• Alternatively, some groups were highly politicised creating links with the KPD and beating up Hitler Youth patrols
• Warnings were initially issued with raids and arrests. In December 1942 the Gestapo arrested 739 Edelweiss Pirates.
• Some were tried and executed, in 1944 the leader of the Cologne Edelweiss Pirates were hanged.

Question 6

Describe the Swing Youth

Answer 6

• Group of a political jazz and swing lovers and were mainly upper-middle class youths
• Many were members of the Hitler Youth, but they rejected the ideas
• For those non-Aryan it became even more dangerous to be associated with the swing crowd by November 1938, during and after Kristallnacht. Many half-Jews were persecuted before others
• Jazz music was offensive to Nazi ideology and the events organised by the Swing Youth mocked the Nazis, the military and the Hitler Youth

Question 7

Describe the White Rose Group

Answer 7

• Non violent students from Munich University
• Distributed anti-Nazi leaflets among the populace
• Their sixth and final leaflet was used as propaganda by the British “The manifesto of he Students of Munich”
• Six core members were captured and executed in February in 1943
• Informally linked to the Swing Kids
• Became a symbol of resistance in Germany after Allied used of their propaganda

Question 8

What was the hitler myth?

Answer 8

• A carefully cultivated image which much evidence suggests was widely believed.
  He was portrayed in several ways:
  Personified the nation and stood aloof from selfish interests
  Understood the German people
  Was the architect of Germany’s economic miracle

In foreign affairs, he:

• Was the rebuilder of Germany’s strengths
• Was mighty bulwark against the nation’s enemies