Youth Armed Forces (German Empire)
Youth services emerged in the German Empire since the 1890s as organizations for pre-military training. They experienced an upswing during the First World War .
history
A first youth army was founded in Berlin in 1896 . In the center of the pre-military training was in the form of drill and drill similar measures. Since 1908, the war clubs promoted the youth armed forces. A short time later, the War Ministry also benevolently registered the associations. The movement was criticized by the Central Committee for the Promotion of the Popular and Youth Games, as it was not able to strengthen the "military strength". Wilhelm II , on the other hand, pushed for the formation of a national youth organization, particularly to combat social democracy . The emperor had an organization based on the model of the Boy Scouts in mind . The general in charge was able to prevent this plan with reference to the costs and the resistance of the existing organizations.
In 1910 there was a merger in a cartel of youth services. However, the importance of the organizations initially remained minor. During the First World War, the organizations for the military became more important and even a Reich Youth Welfare Act was planned. However, that did not happen.
Heinrich Himmler was a member of the youth armed forces in Landshut from Easter to autumn 1915 and received pre-military training.
Individual evidence
- ↑ Military exercise of the Lübeck and Altona youth fighters on the Palinger Heide In: Vaterstädtische Blätter , year 1914/15, edition of June 6, 1915
- ^ Peter Longerich: Heinrich Himmler. Biography. Munich 2008. ISBN 978-3-88680-859-5 , p. 28.
literature
- Christoph Schubert-Weller: "No more beautiful death ...": the militarization of male youth and their engagement in the First World War 1890-1918. Weinheim, 1998.
