The Hitler Youth 1933–45

The Hitler Youth was not in itself a military formation, but a movement that sought to inculcate Nazi ideology upon German youth. Nevertheless, paramilitary training formed an important part of this education, especially given the Nazi veneration of the soldier as the epitome of Germanic manhood; and even some members of the Bund Deutscher Mädel, the Hitler Youth organization for girls, became combatants in the final stages of World War II (1939-1945). This book explores how the preliminary training that German youth underwent in the Hitler Youth prepared them for service in the armed forces, and how Hitler Youth members became directly involved in military service under the pressure of total war.