Hitler Youth

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In modern times, the recruitment of children into political organizations peaked with the Hitler Youth, established in 1933 after the Nazi Party gained power in Germany. The regime believed that children's minds could be molded for politics by age ten, leading to the induction of nearly all German youths aged ten to eighteen into this state-run organization. This initiative became a powerful means of aligning young minds with Adolf Hitler's ideology. Under Baldur von Schirach's leadership, the focus shifted adolescents' obedience from family and school to the racially defined Volk and the Third Reich. The Nazis attracted boys and girls with promises of status, uniforms, and outdoor activities, transforming campgrounds into premilitary training sites and indoctrination into education. While a few resisted, the vast majority joined willingly. Kater utilizes original reports, letters, diaries, and memoirs to explore the history of the Hitler Youth, detailing the methods, extent, and impact of this indoctrination, as well as the fates of the young recruits. Millions later served in the armed forces, with many participating in the oppression of foreign peoples and committing crimes against humanity. Their experiences underscore the moral failures of regimes that involve children in state crimes.