The Change In Curriculum In Nazi Germany
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The concept of Gleischaltung was continuously and effectively implemented throughout the Nazi campaign in numerous ways, resulting in the change in education being extremely evident. When Hitler came into power with the Nazi government in 1933 he set out to transform German society to work for the Nazi goals and purposes. Thus he developed the policy of Gleichschaltung, whereby German society and its institutions were subordinated to the ideological goals of the Nazi regime. Gleichschaltung is the act, process or policy of achieving total coordination and uniformity by forcibly repressing or eliminating independence and freedom of thought, action or expression (Webster, 2015). “By educating the young generation along the right lines, the people’s State will have to see that a generation of mankind is formed which will be adequate to this supreme combat that will decide the destinies of the world”(Hitler, 1939). Hitler understood that to maintain power he had to manipulate the whole of Germany and the youth were the future of the Nazi dictatorship therefore the policy of Gleichschaltung had to focus on the education of the youth so that the Nazis could cultivate a loyal following.
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The control and authority that the Nazis gained in the school classroom and education curriculum allowed them to take over the minds of children from kindergarten to university. Education was a major tool by which the Nazis racial policies were promoted and implemented into the youth of Germany. The Nazis understood that to have loyal Nazis by adulthood they had to educate them on the relevant ideals from childhood. Schooling played a critical part in developing a loyal following for Hitler (Trueman, 2014).
The Government made considerable changes to the curriculum that was taught all over Germany; the subjects included racial studies, where the students were taught to have the same views and ideals believing that the Aryan people and German were destined to rule the world. In addition Hitler also pushed the idea that democracy and workers’ rights would disrupt society. The Nazi Government believed that Germany should have more living space and though that only people of German or Aryan blood should have the privilege of living in Germany. Hitler despised the Jews and communists he believed Jews had no right to be German and he felt threatened by the communists. Hitler wanted to create a generation of young Aryans that were physically fit and totally obedient any disabled or mentally disabled person he wanted rid of as they would stand in the way of him creating the master race that he believed would rule the world for a thousand years (london Jewish cultural centre, 2011). Hitler said “No boy or girl should leave school without having been led to an ultimate realization of the necessity and essence of blood purity” (Hitler, 1939). This source represents the Governments vision of how the youth should view the pure German race it demonstrates their extremely linear and powerful rule over Germany.
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Other subjects included maths, where the content was problems involving racial groups, and budget deficits, calculations were done for missiles and bombings used in the war. When science was taught there was also a military slant on the subject. In Biology the students studied how they Aryan people evolved. Physical education was a major subject in Nazi Germany as Hitler himself believed “A young German must be as swift as a greyhound, as tough as leather, and as hard a Krupp’s steel” (Adolf Hitler). This primary source gives a reliable perspective of Hitler’s point of view at this point in time and how his ideals were put into action. Hitler believed that a man with physical strength was a lot more valuable in society than an intelligent weak man. Physical education from a Nazi perspective was seen as one of the most important parts of a German child’s education. Hitler changed the training in school time from 2 hours per week to 2 hours per day. Hitler believed that weakness should be stamped out of society, and the student’s report cards predominantly focused on PE. Boxing and fitness were largely focused on in physical education and if a student was to perform poorly on a fitness test then they were often teased or humiliated, some students in the secondary schools even had the punishment of expulsion (Wagner, Nazi Curriculum: Physical Education, 2002). Hitler conceived the nation that physical education would make Germany stronger through the boys being physically fit the future for the military would be strong and the women being physically fit they would produce healthy and fit children which would consequent in ideal Germans for the future of the Nazi dictatorship. Additional subjects included Geography where they were educated about the Treaty of Versailles and all the restrictions that were implemented after the loss of World War I and the treaty of Versailles (Dooling, 2013). Certain text books became illegal resulting in them being burned. The curriculum became extremely strict and the teachers were forced to stick to the guidelines of the curriculum. The Nazis managed to gain so much control through the modifications that they made in the education curriculum that they transformed the thoughts and beliefs of the majority of children in Nazi Germany allowing Hitler to maintain power and Nazify the youth and the future of Germany.