Wehrertuchtigungslager

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I have been reading about these Military service camps for 16-18 year old HJ members.

It appears the Waffen SS were keen to recruit HJ into their ranks so were some of these camps totally run by Waffen SS instructors and did the HJ member have a choice?

Cheers

Nick
 
Yes Nick, the SS ran some camps exclusively and supplied personnel for others. They were permitted to recruit boys at these camps but the boys were not forced to join.
 
Thanks Garry, do you think the ideological indoctrination the HJ went through made them want to join the Waffen SS rather than Wehrmacht or was it the other way round?

Nick
 
The fascination with the SS was the same back then as it is today with some collectors. It was 'sexy' and viewed as an elite so many were drawn to it. I wouldn't imagine that Himmler's crackpot ideology (occult, round table etc) was a factor in the attraction though. The ideological instruction received by the HJ was not anti-semitic in nature although clearly it was rampant in society at large although those with a percentage of jewish heritage did serve and were permitted by law to serve in the HJ and the armed forces. The main purpose of ideological instruction was to promote, strengthen and deepen national pride.
 
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