How Did Hitler Control His Youth?• Do you see this picture of

children so strongly cheering their leader, Adolph Hitler? How did Hitler control these young people? Could this happen again today? If we learn how Hitler was able to control his youth, then perhaps we can help to prevent a repeat of such Nazi-style mind-control brainwashing in the future.

Master Race

• Hitler also wanted to build a "master race". • The children of Germany were viewed by Hitler as

his future hope for such a success. • Children were also more naturally teachable and

would therefore be more easily molded by Hitler than older adults.

• Many of these adults also remembered living under democracy, and therefore might not be so easily fooled by Hitler's lies against democracy.

Children as an Asset to the Master Race

• Children could also be a future asset in his war efforts, since Germany was still a small country going up against the combined military forces of most of the world.

• These children could become his future soldiers and leaders of his "Third Reich", an empire which was tolast for a thousand years.

(1) Hitler used his image as a father figure

• In the traditional German home, the father was the one in control.

• The rest of the family was expected to always obey the father -- to obey their father "without question".

• Hitler also persuaded "his" children into thinking that, since Hitler was their "father", this also meant that he also cared about them, and about their future.

(2) Hitler did not allow anyone to oppose or disagree with him

• Children were only allowed to hear one view of Hitler - the positive view.

• After 1933, Hitler was able to silence all public disagreement against him and gained even more influence from the German people including the children

• Anyone who disagreed with any of Hitler's ideas was immediately considered to be "suspect" face death

(3) Hitler used an organized program to keep his kids occupied

• Hitler used his now famous "Hitler Youth" program as a kind of "Boy Scouts" for the training of children to obediently follow him, and to prepare them to become his future soldiers.

• He learned that "youth's loneliness" could be used as a powerful tool to influence (and then gain control) over these young, impressionable kids.

• Hitler therefore tried to keep these children busy, keeping them organized so that they would not be "lonely".

(4) Hitler made certain that children were kept as ignorant as possible

• Generally, the more ignorant children are, (or adults for that matter), the less apt they are to question the validity of their leader's claims of authority.

• Therefore, Hitler made sure that these children did not learn any information that was not "needed" by them.

• These kids were also instructed never to "think for themselves". No, such thinking for one's self was considered to be very "dangerous thinking" and therefore "suspect".

• Such children were also not to read any books or listen to any radio programs that might "confuse them", (i.e. anything other than Hitler's propaganda programs.)

• Hitler made sure that these children always had the "proper information" that they needed, (i.e. as little as possible, in order to always keep his children as ignorant as possible.)

(5) Hitler gathered the children into frequent rallies

• Large groups of children congregating together in youth rallies can have a strong peer pressure effect in strengthening the grip of an authority figure. This is especially true when loud music and many standing ovations are made a central part of this control effort, (as in the picture above). In such rallies there would be strong peer pressure for children to conform to the "Hitler worship"

(6) Hitler used uniforms

• By enforcing a dress code Hitler's youth were taught to act and think the same, namely to "believe without thinking".

(7) Hitler used the Jews as a focus of blame

• Children are often simplistic. • Hitler was able to use this

simplicity in his blaming of the Jews for many of Germany's social problems.

• Jewish families were often shot or herded into "camps" like Auschwitz).

• Jews and their families were made to take the blame for any problems that Germany faced, and therefore they suffered under great persecutions by Hitler.

(8) Hitler believed that having too much money was a real problem for children

• Hitler made sure that his children were kept as impoverished and disadvantaged as practically possible.

• Such poverty also helped to keep such children more dependent on him, more docile, and more pliable as well.

(9) Hitler used a propaganda program

• Hitler built up a effective propaganda program in order to make sure that Hitler's (and only Hitler's) ideas were advanced.

• The false image of smiling and happy Germans dutifully following and cheering their leader, helped to fool many gullible "visitors" to Hitler's rallies.

• Through the use of such deceit, Hitler's propaganda efforts were quite effective in enabling him to "spin" the truth into a lie.

(10) Hitler wrote books and other propaganda materials to promote his views

• The book "Mein Kampf" was one of Hitler's most famous works. Through use of this and other books and writings of his, Hitler was able to present his views to the children under his authority. Such children were expected to read these books, and therefore to absorb his lies into their young and impressionable minds. Such writings therefore greatly helped Hitler in his goal of brainwashing and controlling these children.

Conclusion

• There were many other methods Hitler used to effectively gain and hold control over his youth. Hitler always liked the ideas of political control and mind control.

• Hitler took away those kids' rights, so that he could gain yet more power, control, and money in his quest for world domination.

• Nevertheless, despite his many lies, deceptions, and claims to the contrary, Hitler was really only concerned about Hitler.