Type a new keyword(s) and press Enter to search

Hitler Youth

 

            
             In the early beginning of the Nazi movement many organizations were formed. One of many of these organizations that supported Adolf Hitler was the Sturmabteilung, better known as the Storm Troopers. Even though the SA (Sturmabteilung) was a large organization, it could be broken down into much smaller groups. One of these such groups were known as the Jungsturm Adolf Hitler formen in 1922. This was a group entirely devoted to the male youth of Nazi occupied areas. The translation of this group is Adolf Hitler Boys" Storm Troop.
             As the Nazi movement expanded and gained more power the name was changed in 1926 to the Hitlerjugend by suggestion of Rudolf Hess. Hess led this group for only a year, after which he transferred leadership to Franz Von Pfeffer, also a member of the Storm Troopers. Pfeffer's main objective was to train young men to fight against members of left wing youth groups. In 1930 the HJ (Hitler Youth) was taken over by Ernst Roehm, and also remained an adjunct to the SA (Sturmabtlung). On June 30, 1934 Roehm was murdered during the Night of the Long Knives. The HJ later came under the control of Baldur Von Schirach, the Reich youth leader.
             When Schirach became leader of this group he asked Hitler to allow him to create an independent youth movement. After Hitler agreed Schirach made several important changes to the way the group was organized. In 1936 membership to the HJ was made mandatory for boys aged fifteen to eighteen. Part of Schirach's plan also included the banning of all other youth organizations. "In 1938 there were over 300,000 full time leaders, and 720,000 part time leaders." (Brennecke, 14) The part time leaders were often schoolteachers who had been trained in National Socialist principles. These leaders instructed almost seven million members, which the organizations now included younger boys, and young females. .
             While Baldur Von Schirach was reorganizing the HJ (Hitler Youth) he made another group for younger boy's ages ten to fourteen to join, thus forming the Jungvolk.


Essays Related to Hitler Youth