Osprey Warrior №102. Alan Dearn. The Hitler Youth 1933-45

Illustrator: Elizabeth Sharp. — Osprey Publishing, 2006. — 64 p.
A chilling and modern embodiment of the loss of innocence, the Hitler Youth movement transformed German children into adult Nazis entirely focused on Allied defeat. Despite not being itself a military formation - rather a movement that sought to inculcate Nazi ideology - paramilitary training did however form an important part of this education due to the Nazi veneration of the soldier as the epitome of Germanic manhood. Some members of the Bund Deutscher Mädel, the Hitler Youth organization for girls, even became combatants in the final stages of the war. Covering the range of a child's indoctrination, from ideology to training, this rare exploration of the Nazi culture provides the reader with a complete insight into the preliminary training of Germany's youth, and how they became directly involved in military service under the pressure of total war.Introduction Joining the Hitler Youth Paramilitary Training Uniforms and Equipment Everyday Life Motivation Experience of Battle Aftermath of Battle Colour Plate Commentary Glossary Further Reading Index