Hitler Youth Activities: Military Skills and War Work

Hitler Youth boys strining wire
Figure 1.-- Here we see older HJ boys working on their military skills, in this case strining communication lines. This photograph was taken during the War--May 1942. At this time, the 6th Army was about to commence Operarion Blue which would eventually center in Stalingrad. Because of the enormous casualties the Whermact suffered as a result of the Red Army counter offensive before Moscow, Operation Blue would be fought with th 18-year old conscript class. These boys would soon be in the war themselves. An enscription on the back reads, ": Pfingstlager 25-27 Mai 1942". In English that means Whitsun Camp May 25-27 1942. Whitsun (Whitsunday) is the British name for the Christian festival of Pentecost--the seventh Sunday after Easter, which commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit upon Christ's disciples. It is interesting that the HJ would have Whitsun camp. We are even a little surprises to see the reference to Whit Sunday. Of course it had no real connection with religion. We are not sure how common this was. Summer camps were of course a standard. The word or name under the date is hard to decipher. It could be Erich, a common German first name.

The Hitler Youth program invluded activities that involved them with World War II in a number of ways. In reality the whole purpose of the Hitler Youth was to prespare German boys spirtually and physically to make war. In this regard from the NAZI point of view, the whole enterprise was enormously successful. German boys from many diverse backgrounds fought diligently for the Führer. This included boys from Communist and Socialist families. Most HJ activities such as hiking, ohysical exercise, camping, etc. prepared boys indicretly for war. Many of these activities wre not greatly different than those that Boy Scouts might pursue. Others were different, such as encourgaging organized and some not-so organized physical conflict among the boys through wide games or actual boxing and wrestling bouts. All this prepared the boys indicretly for the physically for the demands of combat. There were other activities, however, that were more directly associated witn preparing for war. Boys trained in a range of military skills such as shooting, laying and penetrating barbed wire, entrenching, laying communications wires, and other military skills. As a esult, when these boys were coinscripted, they showed up for basic training in excellent health and already possessing a range of military skills. Then when Hitler launched the War, the Hitler Youth was used in many different ways to support the war effort. The Hitler Youth after the outbreak of the war in 1939 began a variety of war work. At first it was home front duties much like the Scouts in Britain, collecting scrap metal, warm clothing for soldiers on the Easter Front, charity donations, or other similar activities. Hitler Youth were also involved in farm work. We believe that there was also farm work before the War, but as more and more men were drafted into the military during the War, more workers were needed. We note accounts of HJ farm workers both living with farm families as well at HJ camps. Many Hitler Youth boys did more than just home front war work, but actually saw military service. The Hitler Youth was important in the German military effort. It no only prepared boys for military service, providing physical and ideological conditioning, but also was a conduit for chaneling the boys into the various service branches. But once accomplished the boys were no longer HJ members. Some boys acutually participated in the War as active HJ nembers. This was accomplished in sevedal ways: 1) anti-air craft batteries, 2) Volksstrom (Home Guard), and 3) other ways. Whole military units were formed from Hitler Youth boys. I'm not sure if the boys in these units continued to be HJ members once their military unit was formed.

Indirect Military Training

The Hitler Youth program invluded activities that involved them with World War II in a number of ways. In reality the whole purpose of the Hitler Youth was to prespare German boys spirtually and physically to make war. In this regard from the NAZI point of view, the whole enterprise was enormously successful. German boys from many diverse backgrounds fought diligently for the Führer. This included boys from Communist and Socialist families. Most HJ activities such as hiking, ohysical exercise, camping, etc. prepared boys indicretly for war. Many of these activities wre not greatly different than those that Boy Scouts might pursue. Others were different, such as encourgaging organized and some not-so organized physical conflict among the boys through wide games or actual boxing and wrestling bouts. All this prepared the boys indicretly for the physically for the demands of combat.

Direct Military Training

There were other activities, however, that were more directly associated witn preparing for war. Boys trained in a range of military skills such as shooting, laying and penetrating barbed wire, entrenching, laying communications wires, and other military skills. As a result, when these boys were coinscripted, they showed up for basic training in excellent health and already possessing a range of military skills. The health fctor is notable. The Boy Scputs were created in Britain in large measure because of the number of British boys who were not fit for military service during the Bohr War. And a substsntial number of American young men in World War II were found not fit for service. German youth on the other hand were in excellent health and ready for the rigors of War.

War Work

The Hitler Youth after the outbreak of the war in 1939 began a variety of war work. At first it was home froint duties much like the Scouts in Britain, collecting scrap metal, warm clothing for soldiers on the Easter Front, charity donations, or other similar activities. Hitler Youth were also involved in farm work. We believe that there was also farm work before the War, but as more and more men were drafted into the military during the Wr, more workers were needed. We note accounts of HJ farm workers both living with farm families as well at HJ camps. We also have reports of children from the right-wing yoth groups in occupoied countries doing farm work. These children supplmented the slave labor from occupied countries Eventually other activites such as air raid wardens were taken up. Eventually Hitler Youth boys were involved in fighting fires and police work. By 1944 normal Hitler Youth activities were disrupted by the fact that older Hitler Youth boys who had leadership roles were being recruited into the army and SS units--in some cases special Hutler Youth units.

War Service

Many Hitler Youth boys did more than just home front war work, but actually saw military service. The Hitler Youth was important in the German military effort. It no only prepared boys for military service, providing physical and ideological conditioning, but also was a conduit for chaneling the boys into the various service branches. But once accomplished the boys were no longer HJ members. Some boys acutually participated in the War as active HJ nembers. This was accomplished in sevedal ways: 1) anti-air craft batteries, 2) Volksstrom (Home Guard), and 3) other ways. Whole military units were formed from Hitler Youth boys. I'm not sure if the boys in these units continued to be HJ members once their military unit was formed.

Resistance

Many believe that after the NAZIs surrendered (May 1945) that all German resistance suddenly ceased. This was not the case. There were NAZI attempts as resistance and the Allies had to take measures to deal with the resistance from various German groups. The NAZIs in the closing months of the War organizated operations like the "Werewolves" to disrupt the occupation. Most of the Werewolves were Hitler Youth boys. There were incidents of Allied soldiers ambushed by Werewolf boys and incidents between Werewolf partisans and Allied forces in the closing days of the War. American soldiers leaflets detailing plans on how to undermine the occupation through sabotage and other measures. The NAZI resistance efforts proved ineffective. Given the level of support that the NAZIs built up, this seem rather surprising. The NAZI resistance effort failed for a variety of resons. One, the destruction as a result of the War changed the mind-set of many Germans. Two, relevations of NAZI war crimes also had a major impact on German thinking. Three, Germany was so devestated that the Germans were dependant on American food aid. Four, the nature of the Western Allied occupation did not generate resistance nd ill will. Five, the nature of Soviet behavior had the result of making the Americans look more like protectors than occupiers.








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Created: 2:12 AM 10/21/2011
Last updated: 11:26 PM 10/21/2011