Well before Hitler and the Nazi Party came to power in January 1933, German schools used military imagery in their curricula. In Imperial Germany, the Army was greatly admired and frequently featured in school lessons. This tradition continued and was even intensified after 1933, as the Nazis brought schools into line with their worldview. Below is a 1941 math lesson that used toy soldiers, tanks, cannons, etc. to teach counting. When the lesson was published, Germany had been at war for two years. By incorporating military imagery into textbooks, the regime sought to normalize warfare and to affirm its ideal of militarized masculinity. These objectives informed a host of initiatives involving youth. The Hitler Youth introduced military-style drills, games and competitions that mimicked battle exercises, and toys frequently featured toy soldiers, tanks, ships, cavalry and artillery. The idea was to allow children to have fun while creating the future fighting man. Girls were not included in active military-inspired training, but they were exposed to it at school and at home. In both places, they were taught that their supporting role was also important for Germany’s future.