Youth organisations in transforming Germany into a Nazi society
Evaluate the importance of the youth organisations in transforming Germany into a Nazi society in the period from 1933 to 1939.
The Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei (NSDAP) goal to transform Germany into a Nazi society was born in 1919, the very year of its inception. The party’s leader, Adolf Hitler was driven by the desire to create a peoples community, uniting all “Germans”[1] into one, egalitarian, yet dictated society based around the volksgemeinschaft philosophy. Among the techniques utilised by Hitler and his party to co-ordinate this society was primary and secondary education. Using propaganda, it was believed that, an entire generation could be manipulated—Germany’s youngest. This would facilitate the Nazi objective of ultimate power—to control Germany’s fate and future. With an entire generation to work with, the Nazis were now able to take the step of encouraging, and eventually obliging Germany’s youth to progress to one of several Nazi-controlled youth organisations. These youth became vital to the National Socialist task of transforming Germany into a Nazi society.
The concept of a volksgemeinschaft or a “people’s community” had long been envisioned by the Nazis. National Socialism underscored the need for a community whereby social barriers, like class and public order would be dissolved and such loyalties would be transferred to nationalism and support for the Führer. To defeat the enemy it was necessary to make many sacrifices. The Jews could only be defeated, and territory gained through struggle and war. With its enemies surrendered, Nazism would have affectively created a völkish state where the people lived in a congruous national community.[2] As the concept outlines, social harmony would displace the conflict of the class-structured society, remnants of Kaiserreich and Weimar principles.[3] The transition from Kaiser-ruled to Weimar democracy occurred in...