What was the new approach to education established in Nazi Germany?

In Nazi Germany, a new approach to education was established with the core aim of indoctrinating young minds to adhere to the ideals of National Socialism. The education system was overhauled to promote loyalty to the Nazi party and its leader, Adolf Hitler, and to instil values such as obedience, militarism, racial purity, and anti-Semitism. Here are some key elements in that approach to education:

1. Curriculum Control: The Nazis gained control over educational content. Subjects were distorted to fit Nazi ideals, with particular emphasis on racial theory and the glorification of German history and Aryan accomplishments.

2. Teacher Compliance: Teachers were required to join the National Socialist Teachers League and were often trained or screened to ensure their ideological purity. Those who did not comply with the new standards often lost their jobs.

3. Physical Education: There was a strong focus on physical fitness and militaristic training to prepare students, especially boys, for future service in the military.

4. The Hitler Youth: Beyond the formal school system, participation in organizations like the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls became quasi-mandatory. These groups further indoctrinated the youth and prepared them for their respective roles within the Nazi state.

5. Indoctrination: Schooling and the youth organizations aimed to instil absolute loyalty to Hitler and the Nazi Party. Critical thinking was discouraged, and propaganda was extensively used to reinforce Nazi beliefs.

6. Anti-Semitism: Jewish students faced discrimination, and anti-Semitic ideology was a compulsory part of the curriculum. This furthered the goal of societal acceptance of the Holocaust.

This approach to education created a generation influenced by National Socialist ideology, shaping the attitudes and beliefs of young people towards fulfilling the goals of the Nazi state.