Hitler Youth Documents: Einberufung

Figure 1.--We notice a NAZI Government form called an Einberufung. This is not a Hitler Youth document per se. It is, however, a document issued to older Hitler Youth boys to report for pre-military service.

We notice a Hitler Youth notice called an Einberufung--a call to arms. It is a document issued to Hitler Youth boys to report for pre-military service. We are not sure what pre-military service involved. At the beginning of the War it seemns to have been evening classes. Eventually pre0military training became more intense and camps were opened all over the Reich for training HJ boys. We suspect uin many cases this involved converying ecisting HJ summer camps.

Induction Order

This appears something like an induction order for pre-military service which was to last for 3-months. That sounds rather like basic training, although we are not sure. A German reader calls it an 'order of service' document. Einberufung means 'call to arms'. It looks to be a typewritten document that a HJ official (The Scharführer) has filled in for Hitler Youth boys of suitable age, probably boys age 18 years, perhaps even younger. Notis the duty of eb\veryone to participate.) We are not sure just who the "Erziehungsberechtigte" (person responsible for education)" was. As the boys were to report to a school in Greifendorf, we assume it was someone at the school. Many of the boys, however, had probably already finished school. The form was a simple single sheet without a photograph. Here we have the Einberufung issued to Gottfried Ruhle in 1939 (figure 1).

Translation

A lot of the German text here is hard to translate. Many words are difficult to read, especially the hand-written ones like signatures etc. The name of the boy is Gottfried Ruhle. Some words are typical for the bureaucratic jargon of the Third Reich and untranslatable into meabingful English. A HBU readers has translated the document for us:

Call to Arms

=========

The boy Gottfried Ruhle [The u has no umlaut. The sign above the u is an emphasis to pronounce the name "oo" like in "do".] born ... (not given) ... living in Oresdorf (?) is called based on the "Jugenddienstverordnung" (youth service law), State law journal number 66 of April 6, 1936 (signed by ... chancellor (probably Hitler), the representative of ??? and the ... (probably administrator ???) in the State Chancery Dr. Lammers) to do service for three months of pre-military ??? education under the HJ service. The first day of service is Wednesday, December 6, 1939, 20 pm, at the school in Greifendorf. It is a duty for everyone to participate.

The Scharführer (guide of the troop) Johannes ??? Superiour guide of the troop

..................

The "Erziehungsberechtigte" (person responsible for education)."

Pre-military Training

We are not sure what pre-military training was. We thought it might be what Americans call basic training. That is course is actual military training. It is not clear whether he had to attend training full-time for 3 months or only to attend evening training sessions at Wednesday evenings (or so) for the 3 months. If it is the latter, it may have been for boys younger than the 18-year cohart actually inducted into the Wehermacht. Notice that the meeting time was 20 pm (8 pm) in the evening. That is a good clue. If the boys were to report for transport to a training camp, surely it would have been in the morning. This evening time suggests a training class at the school. A lot of youngsters elder than 14/15 years were already working (having finished school). To call them during the day, in the morning or so, would have forced them to leave wiork. Any the school would have been full of students. And if they had to go for a 3-month full service the order would have said that they had to bring with them personal belongings, cloths, underwear etc. So we think in 1939 this pre-military training was only part time sessions with the boys still living at home. The SA had a role in pre-military training. The intensity of this training seems to have increased as the War orogressed. The HJ pre-military traing was significantly expanded as the war progressed. Eventially 300 Wehrertüchtigungslager (military fitness camos) were opened, but this was not until 1943. Many of the boys trained at these camps were inducted into the Waffen SS. [U.S.War Department, p. 207.] We suspect uin many cases this involved converying ecisting HJ summer camps.

World War II

Hitler launched World War II by invading Poland (September 1939). Major military operations in Poland were over by the end of the month. The boy here was ordered to report for pre-military training (December 1939). The Germans at this time were preparing for major operations in the West. We do not know if this pre-military training was an existing HJ program, or a new development created after the out-break of war. The military training here was to be for only 3-months. Germany launched the attack on Denmark and Norway (April 1940) and the great Western Offendive (May 1940). Losses were very light. It was not until the Red Army defense before Moscow (December 1941), that the Wehrmach began to experience substantial losses and resulting manpower shortages. The conscription age was 18 years. Boys could volunteer at an earlier age. It was not until the last year of the war that the Germans began to induct youths as young as 16 years for the Volkssturm. Even younger HJ boys volunteered.

Sources

U.S. War Department. Handbook on German Military Forces.