An Oral History Study on Preparatory Camps for Military Service in Schools in the Republican Era (1935-1947)

Abstract

Since the 19th century, the compulsory military service system and the concept of total war required citizens to undergo a qualified military training before military service. Thus, young people started to receive training in militaristic classes, paramilitary organizations, and scouting. This type of training appealed to political elites of Second Constitutional and Republic Eras before and after the World War I. As the preparation for military courses was included in the curriculum in 1926, students were taken to the camps on summer holidays and were trained to be war ready. To explore the camps from students' perspective, an oral history study was conducted with individuals who attended camps between 1935 and 1947. While presenting what happened in the camps through witnesses, this study shows the humanitarian aspects of the camps, which are not reflected in the documents. In summary this study aims to reveal the place of military service preparation camps in the history of education, using witnesses primary sources.