The Religious, Moral and Pre-Military Role of the Levente Movement in Light of the Relationship between the State and the Church

Abstract

One of the most influential youth organizations of the interwar period combined pre-military training, patriotic education, and the teaching of religious and moral values in a complex manner. The movement not only sought to develop physical fitness and create a disciplined youth that could be mobilized for military service, but also placed great emphasis on strengthening the patriotic commitment alongside religious and moral norms. This institution was an integral part of the state’s youth policy, which served national political goals, educational aspirations, and social control mechanisms simultaneously. The integrated educational program, tight state control, and the harmonization of social expectations made it possible to educate young people within a unified ideological and organizational framework.