11. The Paramilitary Aspect of the Hitler Youth
From the start, as an auxiliary of the Brown Shirts, the Hitler Youth was a paramilitary organization, intended to train future Nazi fighters and soldiers. Boys were taught to handle weapons, and practiced military maneuvers and drills. To toughen them up and harden their bodies, they were sent to labor in farms in the summer, and encouraged to participate in competitive sports, especially boxing. As a paramilitary organization, the Hitler Youth had a military structure at all levels, from the local, through regional, to national. In 1940, a year into World War II, the Hitler Youth was reorganized into an auxiliary force to perform war duties. Chapters became active in local fire brigades and in recovery efforts after Allied bomber raids, and helped deliver the mail. They also directly assisted the military, via activities such as service alongside antiaircraft gun batteries.
