Adolf Hitler is considered to be one of the most evil men throughout history. For the duration of the Third Reich, more than twelve million people perished. Hitler and his followers persecuted Jews, homosexuals, the gypsies, and the mentally and physically disabled. They died unfair and horrible deaths in gas chambers and concentration camps. For twelve years, this unspeakable and cruel victimization carried on in Germany. Neighbors turned against neighbors, homes and shops were destroyed, and millions of lives were exterminated. German children would report anyone including their own parents if they did not obey Hitler's orders. Boys that were only twelve years old would fight and die in battle for their beloved leader, Hitler. How did Hitler gain so much support especially from the youth of Germany? Why did he put so much emphasis on the development of the German youth? Did he really succeed in brainwashing millions of minds?

Hitler created propaganda in every form possible. From radio programs to films, the message to hate Jews and to obey Hitler was prevalent. Men, women, and especially children were lured into the evil and malicious world

of Nazism. According to "The History Place" website, the Hitler Youth was the largest youth organization in history with a membership of 7.3 million children at its peak. Eighty-two percent of all of the eligible children and teenagers in Germany belonged to Hitler youth and were trained to become ruthless and emotionless soldiers ("History"). To become successful, Hitler thought he needed the undivided The Nazi Party's powerful and influential propaganda lured young boys and girls into the murder and persecution of their fellow citizens, and the Hitler Youth organization became a machine that transformed the impressionable minds of the young Germans.

This unique situation of children belonging to various groups encouraged Hitler to create his own organization. At first, the Hitler Youth was not very successful and was banned several times by the Weimar Republic. In May 1922, Hitler called the first meeting of the Hitler Youth, which then consisted of seventeen youths. In 1923, Hitler was imprisoned and his organizations banned. It seemed to be the end of the Hitler Youth; however, the terror and massiveness had only begun. The Hitler Youth by the end of the Second World War had grown to 7.3 million children. In a matter of twenty years, the Hitler Youth had lured the majority of the German children into its organization. "The Law Concerning the Hitler Youth" was decreed in December 1936. Although this law recruited the rest of the German children into the HJ by threatening the parents with imprisonment, the membership of the organization still involved more that half of the eligible German youth ("History").

I stood in front of a platoon of the Volkssturm. Of the 45 men, only 10 were Hitler Youth members; the others were in their 40's and 50's. Herr Wolff, whose son had fallen as a sergeant in the Waffen-SS, was 65. I eyed them with some apprehension: undisciplined, over-aged, unfit civilians wearing black-red armbands with the inscription Deutsche Wehrmacht. I felt very self-conscious as their leader. Some were the fathers of my school friends.

As the allied bombing campaign increased, the Nazis evacuated children to KLV camps in rural areas. A Nazi approved school teacher and a Hitler Youth section leader ran each camp. Life inside the camps was harsh and included military training, drill, hikes, marches and Nazi propaganda lessons. The camps were in keeping with Hitler's belief in survival of the fittest. "He who would live must fight. He who does not fight...has no right to live". Little and weak children were often bullied and in some cases, sexually abused.

What had transformed these boys into Hitler's robots and killing machines? A separate branch of the propaganda made by Goebbler, who was the mind behind most of Hilter's propaganda media, was focused on the children and their recruitment into the Hitler Youth. Educational textbooks, pamphlets, songs, rallies and marches were all a part of the Goebbler's propaganda (Welch 10). The textbooks consisted of twisted and misconstrued materials praising Hitler and the way he murdered the Jews and the other victims (Muller). However, textbooks were not given much emphasis. Athletics and vigorous exercise consumed most of a Hitler Youth member's day. Everything was turned into a competition and fights between the boys were encouraged. As Herzstein explains in his book The War that Hitler own, the Hitler Youth leaders believed that the weaklings would be naturally weeded out and toughened up if the bigger stronger boys picked on them. Make-believe wars were set up and the boys would practice target shooting in order to get ready for war (Herztstein 246). In addition to vigorous exercise and sports, propaganda marches were customary in the activities of the Hitler Youth. They would sing song and march up and down German towns trying to praise Hitler and to convince more Germans to follow Hitler and the Nazis. The songs and anthems were usua

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Approximate Word count = 3209
Approximate Pages = 13 (250 words per page double spaced)