Hitler Youth: Chronology--The Third Reich (1933-45)

Figure 1.--HBere we see some older HJ boys in 1937. They look to be about the age that they would do Reich Labor Service. Hitler had reintroduced conscription in 1935. One of the HJ functions was as a conduit into the military.

President Hindenburg appointed Adolf Hitler Chancellor (January 1933). Hitler and the NAZIs proceeded to seize power. Shortly after Hitler was appointed Chancellor, Schirach organized a NAZI takeover of the German Youth Ministry (1933). He explained that the staff, except for the anti-NAZIs expelled were now employed by the Hitler Youth. Most of the existing German Youth organizatons were either banned or incorporated into the Hitler Youth. The HJ by 1935 was a huge organization with over 60 percent of the country's youth participating. Mamy boys by 1935 had joined the Hitler Youth, although membership was not officially compulsory until 1936. Enforcement of the compulsory regulation st first varied. At that time the first Hitler Youth Law was promulgated. Many boys were anxious to participate, but it was often possible to avoid participation at first without severe consequences. Both Pope Benedict and his brother, for example were able to avoid participation and their father was a police officer. The NAZI Government promulgated two additional Hitler Youth Laws in 1939 and 41. The additional laws in were in part designed to strenthen the mandatory participation in the HJ. An observer writes, "Opinions differ as to when the 'mandatory' status actually began to be strictly enforced. The general opinion is that it was with the third Hitler Youth Law of 1941 that made it difficult to avoid participation." [Crawford] Artur Axmann who served on the Eastern Front repaced Schirach as HJ leader (1940). The physical training became more rigorus in 1942. Many basic military skills were incorporated such as camafloge, crossing rivers, digging fox holes laying down, ect. Hitler Youth leader Axmann on Hitlers birthday in April 1944 presented him with a newly formed division--the Hitler Youth Division which played a prominent role in the Normandy fighting.