Hitler’s Youth

ZIMSEC O Level History Notes: Dictatorship in Europe: Dictatorship in Germany: Hitler Domestic Policy and Dictatorship

Social Policy

  • Jews were persecuted and numbering laws were passed
  • Hitler was anti-Semitism and hated the Jews intensely
  • Jews were excluded universities, government working and from working as a lawyer or doctor
  • Jews could not hold positions of authority in the media
  • The Nuremberg laws were passed to prohibit Jews from joining the Wehrmacht army
  • They were deprived of all their rights as citizens
  • Many youths were conscripted into the Nazi Youth Movement where they were taught Nazi propaganda
  • Young boys were conscripted into the Hitler Youth at a tender age of six years
  • In their camps they were taught things like:
    1. Nazi songs and games
    2. Nazi political talks and films related to Nazi propaganda
    3. They also learnt how to lock, clean, fire rifles, read maps, go on marches and throw hand grenades
  • Over 300 000 boys were organized into regiments and served the armed forces
  • Young girls served in the League of Germany Maidens and worked on farms and factories
  • Girls were to marry and have large families and women were generally regarded as inferior to men
  • Women were taught about health issues, racial purity and child rearing
  • Women were discriminated against and served to produce large number of children to serve in the Nazi army
  • Women duties were defined with the following slogan ‘Children, Church and Kitchen’
  • Couples were given 1000 marks upon getting married
  • Couples were encouraged to have four children and those who had eight children were given a Gold Cross award and could participate in Nazi Meetings
  • Women could not gain employment and this was done deliberately
  • The Nazi used the education system as a tool for Nazi propaganda and indoctrination
  • There emerged a new religion called Nazism which was opposed to Christianity

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