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The Hitler Youth "Blut und Ehre "Blood and Honor" Slide 2 Hitler Youth by the Numbers The HJ was originally Munich-based only. In 1923, the organization had a little over one thousand members. In 1925, when the Nazi Party had been re-founded, the membership grew to over 5,000. Five years later, national HJ membership stood at 25,000. By the end of 1932 (a few weeks before the Nazis came to power) it was at 107,956. At the end of 1933, the HJ had 2,300,000 members. Much of these increases came from the more or less forcible merger of other youth organizations with the HJ. By December 1936, HJ membership stood at just over five million. By this time HJ membership became mandatory and membership was required even when it was opposed by the member's parents. Slide 3 Organization of the HJ The HJ was organized into corps under adult leaders. membership were boys aged fourteen to eighteen. From 1936, membership of the HJ was compulsory for all young German men. The HJ was also seen as training for future membership of the elite Schutzstaffel (the SS). Slide 4 Organized into local cells. Weekly meetings at which various Nazi doctrine were taught by adult HJ leaders. Regional leaders organized rallies and field exercises in which several dozen Hitler Youth cells would participate. The HJ maintained training academies comparable to prep schools. The Hitler Youth Slide 5 Der Pimpf Der Pimpf was the monthly for boys 10-14 years old in the Hitler Youth organization. The first issue appeared in 1935 under the title Morgen. The title changed to Der Pimpf with the April 1937 issue. It contained a mixture of adventure and propaganda. Its frequency of publication diminished during the war. First Issue 2/35 Slide 6 HJ During the War In 1940, Artur Axmann took over leadership of the Hitler Youth. Axmann began to reform the group into an auxiliary force which could perform war duties. The Hitler Youth became active in German fire brigades and assisted with recovery efforts to German cities affected from Allied bombing. The Hitler Youth also assisted in such organizations as the Reich Postal Service, Deutsche Reichsbahn, fire services, and Reich radio service, and served among anti-aircraft defense crews. By 1943, Nazi leaders began turning the Hitler Youth into a military reserve to draw manpower which had been depleted due to tremendous military losses. In 1943, the 12.SS-Panzer-Division Hitlerjugend, was a fully equipped with the majority of the enlisted drawn from Hitler Youth boys between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. Slide 7