Figure 1.--These Hitler Youth boys are pictured at a picnic during a visit to England in 1937..

The Hitler Youth was virulently nationlistic. There was no international idea as was the case of Scouting. The Hitler Youth were not interested in meetings with other groups while the NAZIs were rising to power. In facts there were fights with rival groups, especially the coomunists and socialists. There was a great interest in meeting with other Hitler Youth groups and the annual NAZI Party Congress at Nurembyrg provided the opportunity to do so. The NAZis who abolished Scouting in Germany for a brief period tried to foment meetings with English Scouts in an effort to woo the English. There were also efforts to develop links with like-minded youth groups in Nordic amd, after 1940, some occupied countries.

English Scouts-Hitler Youth

A group of Hitler Youth boys visited Tamworth in 1937. One of the contributers to the program mentioned the impression that the German boys' uniforms had. The British boys in their long, baggy, khaki shorts were envious of the German boys' well tailored black cord shorts and regalia. They admired the group and joined in with the Nazi campfire songs. So much for Lord Baden-Powel's assertion, when responding to critiscism of the visit and the effect that it may have, that he was of the opinion that no British boys would never fall for Nazi propaganda. This is not a critiscism of B-P. He was a man of proven honour and integrity. But many were taken in by Hitler on both sides of the Channel and it is easy with hindsight to be wise.

Hitler Youth Camps

The NAZIs set up a system oy youth camps throughout Germany. Many were the seized propery of the youth groups that had been outlawed or incorporated into the Hitler Youth. Boys at these camps met other boys from different areas of Germany. They were also used to indoctrinate boys in youth groups from Nordic countries or after 1940, from certain occupied countries. There were Hitler Youth units for German boys living in neighboring counties. Like minded youth groups were not important in Niordic countries before 1940. After the Germans invaded and occupied Denmark, Norway, the Netherlands, Belgium, and France, the natiionlist youth groups which were set up to replace Scouting involved much larger numbers of boys. The Hitler Youth arranged tio bring boys to Germany to attend summer camps and there were many opportunities to meet and know Germany Hitler Youth boys.