The Young (Gerard Analysis)

• Hitler and the Nazi party wanted to brainwash the young people in Germany to accept their message and control the minds of the young
• Nazi control of education

  1. Compulsory education ages 6-14

  2. Nazi teachers league - 97% of teachers joined by 1937

  3. Textbooks and curriculum twisted to promote Nazi ideals

  4. Subjects like race studies, eugenics, military training introduced
• Nazi youth groups


  1. Little Fellows (ages 6-10)

  2. German Young People (ages 10-14)

  3. Hitler Youth (ages 14-18)

  4. Young Girls League (ages 10-14)

  5. League of German Maidens (ages 14-18)

  6. Compulsory membership from 1936

  7. Political indoctrination, physical training, loyalty oaths
• By 1939, over 8 million children were members of Nazi youth groups
• However, there were still around 3 million children who did not join the Nazi youth groups, either refusing or just going along without being affected
• The Nazi attempts to control the minds of German youth had both successes and failures from the Nazi perspective
• One of Hitler's promises was to improve the lives of Germans, including tackling the high unemployment rate of 6 million in 1932