Y10 History Week beginning 01/06/20 Nazi Social and Economic Policies- Youth Please spend ONE HOUR on each lesson this week. Lesson Two: What was the impact of Nazi policies on young people? 1. Read the summary of Nazi policies towards children. And then define the two main youth groups. 2. Read the sources about school in Nazi Germany and then answer the questions on the sources. 3. Read the sources about Nazi Youth Groups and then answer the questions on the sources. 4. Read the final summary and answer the five questions in fully explained paragraphs. Task 1 Youth indoctrination was crucial to Hitler’s Gleichschaltung (total control/Nazification) in the Third Reich: he wanted all girls and boys to owe their loyalty to him and the state, as opposed to their parents. To do this, the Nazis created an organisation called the Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend / HJ). There were separate sections for boys and girls. The League of German Maidens taught girls to be physically fit and to be prepared to create a strong Germany by learning how to be good mothers and wives. Camps and school lessons centred upon singing nationalist songs, biology lessons, sex education, history and sports. Boys in the Hitler Youth were trained to be physically fit, to be loyal and to be proud Germans. Sports, history, German, nationalist singing and biology dominated school timetables. Typical Hitler Youth timetables would include much marching, flag saluting, exercise and routines such as washing, bed making, and political studies. The boys were being trained as the soldiers of the future; the girls were to be prepared for motherhood. Write a definition of the Hitler Youth: Write a definition of the League of German Maidens: Task 2 Read the following sources about changes made to children’s education by the Nazis. For each source: - Summarise what it tells us about Nazi education; - Explain how that approach would help the Nazis control Germany. Then answer the questions about all the sources. Why do you think that the Nazis were so intent on spreading their beliefs in schools? Who would these policies be popular with? How would these policies help Hitler keep control? Task 3 The Nazis didn’t just change the school day, they also controlled pupils extra- curricular activities and social lives. Read the sources below about the youth groups the Nazis set up. 1) Use the sources to describe what children did in each Nazi youth group. Make sure that you use at least three specific examples for both boys and girls. 2) Write two PEE paragraphs explaining why the Nazis created these groups. Each paragraph should focus on one reason, and use a specific example to support each reason. Task 4 Hitler identified in Mein Kampf that the primary purpose of education was to indoctrinate and control the German youth. The youth of Germany represented the Reich’s future and Hitler believed that children could be prepared for an active role within the Volksgemeinschaft. Hitler believed that the purpose of education was to create physically strong, loyal members for the Volksgemeinschaft. When the Nazis took control of local government in 1933 they gained responsibility for education. Hitler appointed Bernhard Rust as Minister for Education and Science and his views are summarised in the following quote: “The chief purpose of the school is to train human beings to realise that the State is more important than the individual, that individuals must be willing and ready to sacrifice themselves for Nation & Fuhrer.” The Nationalist Socialist Teachers Alliance was also given responsibility for ‘reconditioning’ teachers. By 1937 97% of all teachers were members of the organisation; the education system was then purged of Jews – only 1.5% of all university applications were accepted from Jewish backgrounds after 1933, Jews were banned from legal and medical courses and, from 1938, Jewish children attended separate schools. In addition, the school curriculum was dramatically changed – with an emphasis on physical education, history from a Nazi perspective, racial biology, or eugenics, lessons and activities that encouraged obedience and group solidarity. Special Nazi schools were also established to train boys for military or political life. Napolas were established to prepare boys for recruitment to the SS (their motto was ‘Believe, Obey, Fight!) and Adolf Hitler schools were created to choose boys for political service; The Hitler Youth had been established in 1926 to gain support for the Nazis amongst the young. After 1931 the organisation was dominated by Baldur Von Schirach. Under his guidance membership grew rapidly after 1933. By 1937 membership had risen to 7 million and in 1939 membership became compulsory for all children aged between 6 and 16. 1. Who did Hitler appoint as the Minister for Education? And what was his view on schooling? 2. What was the Nationalist Socialist Teachers Alliance? 3. Why do you think that the Nazis drastically the history curriculum? 4. What were Napolas? 5. When did membership of the Nazi Youth become compulsory? Why do you think this was? .