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German History: 4 Education - The Third Reich - Coggle Diagram
German History: 4 Education - The Third Reich
The Aims of Education
Used as means of indoctrination
Used a strategy of 'total education' which involved using all institutions like higher education and youth organisations
Nazi's sought to achieve a "root and branch reshaping of values" by promoting militarism, racism etc
Ultimate purpose of education was to glorify war
Hitler consistently denigrated the teaching profession as only fit for incompetents and women
Overall, indoctrination of the youth ended up being one of the most successful Nazi propaganda campaigns
Indoctrination in schools
Achieved through alteration to the school timetable
Biology teachers were to focus on race science
History teachers taught the triumphs of German emperors, kings and generals (Charlemagne and Fredrick the Great) and the national shame of 1918
In Geography they studied the rivers and mountains as the basis for military operations
Physical Exercise became important and boxing was made compulsery
Teachers were required to teach the racial theory (the Jewish Problem)
In Maths students had to do problems to do with ballistics or financial savings from a policy of the euthanasia of the disabled
Antisemitic children's books like "Der Stumer" and "the Poisonous Mushroom" (the mushrooms are compared to Jews)
Schools expected to encourage worship of the Fuhrer
Children were expected to deliver 'Heil Hitler' at the start of each day and lesson
Every class started with a song
A picture of Hitler was on the wall of every classroom
School books and curriculum
The curriculum and textbooks were crafted to glorify Hitler and the Nazis
Hitler was often portrayed as a heroic figure to saved Germany from economic collapse and restored national pride
Students were taught about Hitler's ride to power
In every schoolbook there was an illustration of Hitler
Held ceremonies and rituals emphasising loyalty to Hitler which included Nazi flags and the oath of allegiance
Control over schools and teachers
The Nazi state had high levels of central control over schools unlike the Weimar Republic
Teachers were vetted for political reliability
Jewish teachers were sacked
Memberships to the National Socialist Teachers' League was made compulsory (by 1937, 97% of all teachers belonged)
By 1936 over 32% of teachers were members of the Nazi Party and members wore their uniform in the classroom
All schools had to follow a curriculum prescribed by the Ministry of Education
The Organisation of Schools
The Nazis centralised the education system as the destroyed the powers of the state through Gleichschaltung
Power over schools was in the hands of the Reich Minister of Education Bernard Rust
Rust enforced strict control over school promoting Nazi ideaology and suppressing dissenting views
Changes to the structure of schools made
Eliminate the role of the Christian churches in education (they removed crucifixes)
By 1939 all Catholic denominational schools had been disbanded and protestant schools were quickly shut down
Created new schools to train the new generation (the Napolas) which were eventually run by the SS to put greater emphasis on military training
Adolf Hitler Schools were run by the German Labour Front with an emphasis on political indoctrination and military training
Graduates from the Adolf Hitler Schools could apply for the Order Castles which involved training students in mountaineering and preparation for the conquest of Lebensraum
The vast majority of German students continued to attend German schools like the Grundschule, Gymnasium and the Realschule
Youth Groups
The Hitler Youth (Hitlerjugend)
It was a primary tool in indoctrinating the youth
Encompassed boys and girls from 10 to 18
Boys : Pimpfen (6 to 10) and the Hitler Jugend (10 to 14) which belonged to the League of German Girls (BDM)
Hitler Youth was compulsory for Germans from 1936 and participation was strongly encouraged
By 1939 the they had 9 million members
Very few didn't attend but some joined rebel groups like the Edelweiss Pirates and the Swing Youth
Played a key role indoctrination as they discussed extracts from Mein Kampf and Der Sturmer
For the Nazis they made no distinction between the work of schools and their own Youth Groups
Unlike the Weimar era where there were popular voluntary organisations for leisure like the Wandervogel
Generational Conflict
The Nazis deliberately channelled the rebelliousness of the young against such entrenched institutions (schools, churches)
Hitler gained loyalty from the youth by giving them a variety of special privileges like the right to carry dagger, wear uniforms and issue commands-all which inflated egos
The youth groups had a detrimental impact on educational standards as young people were leaders of the youth groups ('Youth leads Youth')
There was a lot of conflict in schools when children challenged the authority of teachers because the power of the youth in youth groups
The active program of marches, demonstrations etc created time conflicts and left the youngsters virtually no energy for class or time for homework
Schools were filled with tired and inattentive pupils
There was a further decline in education standards during the war as many teachers were conscripted , students were given tasks, dislocations due to coal shortages and the destruction of schools in bombings
Universities
Appointments of professors were closely vetted by the Ministry of Education
The courses at Universities were subject to central control
Reactors and Deans lost their independence and were now directly appointed
Universities had a compulsory emphasis on sports
Courses were politicised eg Chemistry courses included lectures on poison gas
All students were expected to join the National Socialist German Students League
University numbers dropped by 38% for men and 50% for women