What was the motto of the Hitler Youth in World War II?

The motto of the Hitler Youth in World War II was “Blood and Honor” (German: Blut und Ehre).

The phrase expressed the Nazi regime’s racial ideology and its demand that German young people dedicate themselves to the supposed purity and strength of the German nation. The Hitler Youth used it widely as a slogan and identity marker.

“Blood and Honor” appeared on Hitler Youth materials, including a songbook, and was embossed on the belt buckles of the organization’s uniforms. Between 1933 and 1938, the German wording was also engraved on the blades of Hitler Youth hiking knives.

A common mix-up is confusing this slogan with “Blood and Soil,” another important Nazi phrase associated with race, land, and nationalism. “Blood and Honour” is also the name later adopted by an international neo-Nazi network, but that modern organization should not be confused with the original Hitler Youth slogan.