“Keeping This Cauldron Together”: The Final Days of the Hitler Youth in the Bohemian Lands. Myth and Reality
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| Year of publication | 2025 |
| Type | Appeared in Conference without Proceedings |
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| Description | Postwar Czechoslovak journalism portrayed members of the Hitler Youth in the Bohemian lands as fanatical Nazis who, at in the final days of WW2, took up arms against the Allied armies, murdered civilians, and formed so-called “Werewolf” guerrilla groups that terrorized the Czech population. Although this depiction had some basis in reality, it was also partly a myth—one that helped justify the postwar expulsion of Germans. This paper compares that instrumentalized narrative with the actual activities of the Hitler Youth during the final months of its existence. These included both efforts to avert Nazi Germany’s military defeat—though not all members participated with enthusiasm—and routine activities maintained until the very end to create an illusion of normality |
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