To what extent did Hitler use education to support his regime?
In a place of supreme power, Hitler used his chancellorship to mold the German education system in favor of the Nazi Party. Hitler took a great interest in the German youth and their development into what he considered gleaming examples of the Aryan race and reformed their education to better suit a cirriculum centered on German supremacy and traditional gender roles. Emphasis on subjects like PE, Biology, and German history shaped German students into fit, nationalist believers of Nazi ideals. 'Biology' was focused on explaining why, genetically, inherently, the Aryan race was superior to all others. German history gave them pride in their country, and athletics kept them in shape and looking the part of a Nazi protegee. From a young age, Hitler limited the information these children were exposed to and set most of them up to follow the Nazi Party for years. Even literature students were allowed to read was strictly German- books from foreign authors were either beneath Hitler or, more likely, threatened his regime. Foreign in his eyes was dangerous, and those ideas were not the ones he wanted to infect his future soldiers and housewives. Gender roles were also a big deal in Hitler's education system. The Nazi Party was a conservative one, but his reform of the system pushed it even farther. Young girls were taught (in addition to some of the athletics boys practiced) domestic skills, and the idea of a quietly supportive, maternal wife as the ideal was shoved upon them early on. Boys, too, were taught things specifically for a future in the military, as if Hitler was starting his training early. Hitler, knowing how impressionable children are, was building his future armies from toddlerhood onward. If they grew up knowing nothing but the Nazi idealsand 'superior' races, they aren't likely to challenge it. This gave Hitler more security in the regime he thought would last a thousand years. Starting in childhood, Hitler molded a generation of Germans into his ideal to help support and secure his regime.
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I definitely agree with the fact that Hitler took interest in Germany's youth to mold his ideal generations of Germans. He thought that his regime would last for years to come if he instilled his beliefs in the children. And this may have been an excellent strategy if Hitler could have pulled Germany through WWII. It seems he had the people's trust and support for the most part by blaming the Jews for Germany's problems. And by teaching the children Nazi ideals from birth, why would they have any reason to question or believe otherwise? He would have had an entire Nazi population in a few generations.
ReplyDeleteKay Kay,
ReplyDeleteYou made a great point about how Hitler basically took control of Germany's educational system, but however, he specifically took interest in the boys. Hitler saw the boys as the future of the Nazis and of his military. However, it can be argued that by surrounding the children with only material approved by the Nazis pushed them further away from Hitler's ideology; similar to a child that is not allowed to do anything they want when they are a child. As soon as the child grows and gains independence, they will begin to do the things that they want to do and forget what they were taught.
'Matt Matt,'
ReplyDelete...Did you really just call me Kay Kay?
Ha ha. But I can't agree with you. You still call blue blue and write the way you were taught, ne? Children are obedient. Some things don't just go away into a recess of your brain.
And he took interest in the girls, too! Who else was going to pop out pure German babies? He needed them to be good housewives and mothers to keep his empire going.
Your name sucks, ps, to make nicknames with.
Kalaylay (cause we made the best nicknames ever!),
ReplyDeleteYour post was pretty good and definitely informative of how Hitler's particular interest in the German youth influenced his ideology of planning ahead for the future of Germany. I think both you and matt are correct, he acknowledged BOTH boys and girls because they were both important in the future of Germany, the men would serve as Nazi soldiers that continually built the empire until it was THE world power while the women continually produced pure bred Germans to keep up the empire and Hitler's legacy. One thing i have to disagree with is in matt's post about how surrounding them with only German literature would lead them to revolt against it. I dont think they would revolt mainly because they are basically secluded in Germany and have no idea what lies on the outside of the german border. The children are being force fed pure german literature and the Nazi ways of life in order to better the German future, in all they have no other choice but to grow up only knowing the German way.
I like your ideas about Hitler molding the youth of today into the Nazi Germany of tommorow. You are right about how he trained the boys to be Nazi soldiers for Germnany and the girls to be the devoted wives of the Nazis. I dont agree with Adam though. If only surrounded by one thing, eventually someone is going to get curious and then there's a chance of a revolt there. We humans arn't content with just knowing one thing. We have the need to learn and that is exactly what would happen if the German youth were only surrounded with one thing, the Nazi ideals.
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