It is difficult to identify where the German youth began, but it was dated all the way back to 1808 with an attempt to assassinate Napoleon Bonaparte and remove him from German soil (Koch 12). "Of the eleven officers subsequently shot on Napoleon's explicit orders the oldest was barely 20 year of age" (Koch 13). On November 10, 1914, the German Fourth Army was given the task to seize Langemarck. The task was given to "Germany's youngest and least-experienced troops" (Koch 1). The idea was to gather as large of an army as possible, including young volunteers, college students, and 40,000 grammar-school pupils" (Koch 1). So, It is evident that the German youth was given the "dirty work" so to speak. The German youth took the hits and made up substantially of war efforts as volunteers and soldiers.
Later, when Hitler became chancellor of Germany, the youth of Germany became the Hitler Youth, which included many children from ages 10 to 18. Boys and girls were given their duties as helpers to Hitler. Boys were the future soldiers of Germany; trained for the military; while, girls were trained for motherhood, so that they could produce and take care of Hitler's future soldiers. When Hitler came to power, all other youth movements were abolished; therefore, making the Hitler Youth the only movement available; thus, growing immensely in a short amount of time.
Throughout Hitler's reign as chancellor, he held the Hitler Youth in the palm of his hand. The Hitler Youth was trained to accomplish all the steps in becoming Hitler's perfect soldiers. Hitler once said, "It is understandable that the enthusiastic youth suffers from impatience. But youth must be disciplined and led in the right direction by mature men. Impatience must be replaced by the ability to work quietly and confidently for the future, waiting with clenched teeth until the hour is ripe" (Koch 58).
After the Hitler Youth became older (after 18 years old), they were given the opportunity to join the NSDAP. Many went on to go to universities, while still being involved in Hitler's movement. Many students still answered under Hitler and were involved in horrific acts. One act being the book burning in Bebelplatz, at that time Opernplatz, in front of the Humboldt Universitaet where they gathered with the Hitler Youth and celebrated the burning of the Jewish idealism, freethinking, and anything 'Un-German.'
Humboldt Universitaet, Bebelplatz, Berlin, Germany
Image by Jake Jenkins
