German Youth in the Purgatory of Nazi Bondage

This essay discusses the means of bonding and exploitation employed by the National Socialist (Nazi) movement to achieve the extreme ethnic national devotion of young Germans. The discourse includes aspects of youth consciousness prior to, during, and after Hitler’s rise to power within political, economic, cultural and ideological frameworks. The results indicate that Nazi influence capitalized on youth perceptions of society during the rapid rise of modernity, the ramifications of the post-WWI political arena, and the subsequent waves of destabilizing economic phenomena. Central to Hitler’s control was a systematic employment of manipulation and propaganda. By tapping into and distorting youth psychology, the cult-like power of the Nazis permeated the thoughts and actions of millions of Germans. Disturbing echoes of such mind control are reflected in a contemporary problem whereby unbridled strategies of privileged forces possess unparalleled access and ability to again threaten individual liberty at a grand scale.