Hitler Youth

Hitler Youth Illustration (1936)

During the 1920's, Adolf Hitler created a variety of youth organizations throughout Germany. The idea behind these organizations was to attract young men who could be trained to become members of the SA (Storm troopers). Hitler believed that since the youth was the future of Germany, he needed to manipulate their minds into supporting his ideologies. However, Hitler Youth didn't only target the minds of young men, it was also geared towards young women. The goal for Hitler was to attract young men and women, and use their minds to "build" these children into his ideal society. This way, when the children became adults, they (men) would either be fighting for Germany, or they (women) would be raising their children in the views of Nazism.

By 1939, it was mandatory for children ages 10-18 to join Hitler Youth. By this time, over two million children were now members. The daily routine for boys in Hitler Youth involved them getting mentally and physically ready for war. "In addition to military-style marching, the daily routine also included learning marksmanship, the use of bayonets, and how to throw grenades. They even covered the basics of trench warfare" (Hitler Youth). Even participating in these activities, the leaders of the groups tried to make them fun and enjoyable. This was used as a tactic to get the young men to further their support for Hitler. "The Hitler Youth (Hitler Jugend) wore uniforms and  attended meetings and rallies where they were indoctrinated with Nazi views" (Wheeler). The goal for the Hitler Youth involving boys, was to create a mindset within every generation to follow Hitler's ideologies and adopt the same views of the Nazi's.

Hitler Youth Membership Book, owned by Paul Briscoe (1940)

Hitler Youth wasn't only intended for boys. Hitler created a variation of Hitler Youth that was created for girls named, Young Maidens. Young women would be part of this organization from the age of ten till twenty-one. The purpose of Young Maidens was to teach girls how to be good mothers, and have them teach their children the views of Nazism. Young women weren't taught to fight in the war, but to teach future generations about the goals and ideas that Hitler had for Germany.

League of German Girls in the Hitler Youth (1936)

This is a break down of what each age group (for both boys and girls) learned in Hitler Youth:

Boys aged 6 – 10 years: Joined the Little Fellows and mainly participated in outdoor sport activities such as hiking, rambling and camping.
Boys aged 10 – 13 years: Joined the German Young People. They still participated in sporting activities but these had a more military emphasis such as parading and marching as well as map reading. They also learned about Nazi views on racial purity and anti-Semitism.
Boys aged 14 – 18 years: Joined the Hitler Youth. They were prepared to be soldiers by doing military activities.
Girls aged 10 – 14 years: Joined the Young Maidens, where they were taught good health practices as well as how to become good mothers and housewives. They also learned about Nazi views on racial purity and anti-Semitism.
Girls aged 14 – 21 years: Joined the League of German Maidens, where they were further prepared for their roles as the mother of future Germans. (Wheeler)


Image:
John Simkin. "Hitler Youth." Spartacus Educational. Spartacus Educational, Feb. 2016. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. Images


Sources:
"Hitler Youth Summary & Facts – Nazi Paramilitary Organization." Totally History Hitler Youth Comments. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2017. Summary


Wheeler, Heather. "Nazi Germany - Hitler Youth." History on the Net. HistoryOnTheNet, 05 June 2014. Web. 18 Apr. 2017.  Hitler Youth

Lawrence of Arabia: The Story of T.E. Lawrence and the Arab Uprising in World War I

Lawrence of Arabia, Colombia Pictures

December 10, 1962

$15 Million Budget, $70 Million Box Office

Original Poster

Drama

The central historical message of the film, Lawrence of Arabia is to share the story of T.E. Lawrence, played by Peter O'Toole, a British Officer and his experiences as a member and leader of the Arab Uprising in the Arabian Peninsula during World War I. The film follows Lawrence's time in the Arabian Peninsula, his involvement in the Arab Uprising and the Arab National Council, and the issues Lawrence experiences and issues with his time in the war, including his changing attitudes towards the violence of war, finding his own identity, and balancing the relationships he develops with the Arabs and his duty to his country as an officer. 

The film was based on the Seven Pillars of Wisdom, written by T.E. Lawrence himself. The film was directed by David Lean, produced by Sam Spiegel, and written by Robert Bolt and Michael Wilson. The score was written by Maurice Jarre, and performed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra. 

The film reveals the view reveals the viewpoints of the war over 40 years after it occurred, and shows the views of heroism in World War I. It exposes the problems that these so called war heroes encounter and experience as well. The film was a critical and financial success upon its release, and won a number of awards, including best picture and best director at the 35th Academy Awards. In 1991, the film was called, "culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant," and was placed in the United States Library of Congress National Film Registry. The film is still well received today.

The look of the film, especially in newer remastered versions, is breathtaking. The open landscapes provide an idea of how vast the deserts that Lawrence lived and worked in must have been. The areas selected for filming were clearly chosen carefully and utilized intentionally. Because of the available camera technology when Lawrence of Arabia was filmed, some scenes and movements appear choppy or broken, but the landscapes, production, sets, costumes, and writing make up for these filming issues time and time again. The editing allows the film to flow smoothly over its 200+ minute run time, and the score provides emotion and helps set scenes throughout the film in an outstanding way, and creates a real life Indiana Jones feel. 

The films provides strong historical context, and gives a great understanding of the relationship that Lawrence and the Arabs had. There are some parts of the film where the art of the film took away from true historical accuracy, such as the the battle at Aqaba, the taking of Damascus, and Lawrence learning about the Sykes-Picot agreement, which would divide the Arab world between the British and French after the war. T.E. Lawrence knew of the agreement but was not at liberty to share the information with the Arabs as a British officer. 

Overall, the 1962 film provides an incredible look into the Arab and British fight against the Ottoman Empire during World War I and allows viewers to grasp an idea of the tactics, battles, and relationships that developed, and produces an image of heroism from the life of T.E. Lawrence. 

Leni Riefenstahl

Leni Riefenstahl was born August 22, 1902 in Berlin, Germany. She was a director and producer of a popular 1930’s documentary film called the Triumph of Will. Riefenstahl started out her career as a ballet dancer, however, upon receiving a knee injury, she stopped dancing and became an actress. She started doing “mountain films” which is a German genre of film that focuses on nature, mountains in particular. She soon formed her own production company in 1931 and wrote, directed and starred in The Blue Light which came out in 1932. This is when she gained support from the Nazi party and made the film Triumph of Will in 1935. 

In Triumph of Will, the documentary studies the Nazi Party at a Nürnberg convention in 1934 that was to show the unification of the Nazi party, as well as introduce leaders. It also shows speeches given by Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders. Because of the fact that her film supported the Nazi cause she ended up being detained after World War II. She tried to complete other productions afterwards but was never able to bounce back.

References:

http://www.nytimes.com/2003/09/09/obituaries/leni-riefenstahl-filmmaker-and-nazi-propagandist-dies-at-101.html

http://www.leni-riefenstahl.de/eng/bio.html

https://www.britannica.com/biography/Leni-Riefenstahl#ref182318

The Human Cost of a War

World War One had a huge human costs, people in the combatant nations struggled to deal with the results of the war. It is estimated that 8 million soldiers died on the battlefield, with Russia in the first place with around 2 million military deaths. France had the highest proportionate number of losses with the record of death being one out of every ten adult male. Around 8 million civilians died because of the war and another 20 million people died in the worldwide influenza epidemic that followed the war. 

The nature of the war made proper burials very difficult, soldiers were usually interred where they fell. When the remains were gathered, due to the chaos of the war, it was difficult to make an accurate identification, and hundreds of thousands of death soldiers remained unidentified. Memorials were built on the main battlefields of the war, to express the general need to recognize the great sorrow and suffering caused by it. Europe also raised public memorials to honor the dead and held ceremonies on important anniversaries such as November 11, the day that the war ended, and July 1, to commemorate the Battle of the Somme. 

Reference 

McKay, John P. A History of Western Society. 12th ed. Vol. 2. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin's, 2017. Print.