Hitler Youth Research Paper

“They are somehow engaged in something from which they cannot liberate themselves. They are locked into a structure, and they do not have the skills or inner resources to disengage themselves” (Meyer, 1970). During the 1930’s: young boys were trained to murder without feelings of remorse and young girls promised to bear children for the next generation of the “master race”. By adulthood, these children were willing to live and die for Hitler. The question is; why did they decide to follow Hitler? This question can be answered through a sociological perspective. By looking at Hitler’s training techniques for Hitler Youth, several experiments conducted by “experts” and evaluating their effect on obedience and will; we can explain why a good
man would feel nothing when pulling the trigger on a Jewish child.
To begin, the youth in Germany grew up marching in formation to fanfare and saluting Hitler with one arm stretched forward. These actions of worship tested obedience and loyalty to Hitler. They served as an introduction to the tasks they would complete as adults. In addition, young boys were trained physically to be above average soldiers when it was time to fight. These kids were gathered in groups with other children their age and all practiced the same sport or training. “One practice was to have each boy bring a favorite pet to a Hitler Youth meeting. There he was required to kill it.. In this way boys were trained to believe that their obedience to Hitler should outweigh their attachment to anyone or anything else” (Doc. C). With this said, children grew a sense of unity with the other children completing these tasks, but more importantly the knowledge that they all shared a similar purpose; to serve Hitler. At a young age, they knew that completing these tasks would allow them to remain an important member of their age group and a value to their country. “Every song, every group activity of the Hitler Youth was designed to instill a sense of self-worth that could be ultimately converted to national loyalty and willingness to live and die for hitler” (Doc. C). This quote from The Hitler Youth illustrates the ways Hitler created a feeling of necessary obedience and servitude to him. Hitler’s training was effective where youth were secure of themselves, their actions, and their nation. However, their loyalty to this superior being, Hitler, grew from social ideas of respect and obedience. These conditions which they grew up with created this loyalty and is explained by looking at an experiment created by Stanley Milgram.
The Stanley Milgram Obedience Experiment was created to try and explain the horrors of the Nazi Germany era; where enemies of the state were killed without a second thought.
An innumerable amount of the people who grew to be Nazi soldiers began as Hitler Youth.
After killing so many people, these men claimed to simply have followed the orders of their ruler Hitler. They felt no responsibility for their actions, but not because they were evil creatures. In the Milgram Experiment, an experimenter, seated in the same room as the “student/learner”, told a willing participant to continually raise the level of electric shocks received by the student. When the participant questioned the consequences of what they were doing or if they felt like stopping; the experimenter would reply to them with ‘prods’. These ‘prods’ included: “Please continue”, “Please go on”, “The experiment requires that you go on”, “It is absolutely essential that you continue”, “You have no other choice, you must go on” (Doc. B). After , many placid prods, the experimenter was able to create their authority over the participant and student. This sense of inferiority within the participant caused several of them to continue pushing the dial even when it was clear they were causing immense “harm” to the student. Nazi soldiers who were told at a young age that Hitler has authority over them and should be listened to; did so. The results of this experiment explain why. “The physical presence of an authority figure dramatically increased compliance within participants” (Doc. B). Such as participants being watched by an authority figure caused them to comply; Nazi’s who were aware of the all seeing Hitler agreed to kill anyone so that conflict was evaded. “...Most people will obey external authority over the dictates of conscience” (Velasquez, Andre, Shanks, & Meyer, 1988). In addition, people who followed Hitler, trusted him. A factor in the Milgram experiment, that caused obedience was the belief that because Yale (a trusted institution) sponsored the study; the experiment was safe (Doc B). When the people knew a trust worthy and recognized institution was holding the
experiment, they did not think twice of their involvement in hurting the student. In the 1930’s, Hitler swept the streets with his powerful propaganda and anti semitic lectures. He was viewed highly of and trusted by the listeners of his speeches and the viewers of his propaganda. These Nazi’s trusted what Hitler said and did not think twice of their heinous actions.
Correspondingly, the people who agreed with Hitler’s orders and actions felt the need to do so. This need is driven by a sense of conformity instilled in them at a young age. As aforementioned, Hitler youth grew up training along with other children in their age group. They were united by a sense of loyalty to a man named Hitler and their repeated salutes to him. These people did not want to stand out among the vast majority who were fighting for their nation and it’s beliefs. There were going to fight and kill whoever as long as it meant staying a valuable member to their group. The Asch conformity experiment investigated how the social pressure from a majority group could affect a person to conform. In the experiment, Solomon Asch demonstrated the grand power of conformity in many groups. Using a line judgment task, Asch put a naive participant in a room with seven confederates. The confederates had agreed in advance what their responses would be (Doc A). The trials included picking out a line closest looking to another line. Out of 18 trials, the confederates answered incorrectly on 12 of them. Participants displayed extreme discomfort, however, they still conformed to the answer given by the majority of others in the room. Even when the majority gave a clearly wrong answer, about 75% of participants conformed at least once (Doc A). With this in mind, participants said they confirmed for two main reasons; because they want to fit in with the group and because they believe the group is better informed than they are (Doc A). This information is significant in explaining why people followed Hitler because it reveals their reasoning behind doing so. Men who had this superior view of Hitler thought of him as a very experienced and knowledgeable man. Any person who was feeling doubts or regret was quickly reminded of their ignorance. They reminded themselves that Hitler was all knowing and could not possibly be doing something incorrect or immoral. On the other hand, people may have simply felt the need to go along with what the others were doing even if they disagreed with the results. These people conformed because the other members of the group had ideas that were seemingly correct or common. In the case of the Asch experiment, the answer given by the other people in the group was not to be disagreed with because it was a majority view. Overall, both experiments help in explaining the logic behind people’s loyalty to Hitler.
Altogether, people who followed Hitler were taught to obey Hitler at a young age through numerous years of training and activities. Since Hitler was viewed as a powerful authority figure, people remembered that questioning his actions was equivalent to questioning an action based on intelligence and superiority. Under those circumstances, people felt a need to remain united with the others in their group who heiled Hitler. They conformed to his ideas regarding war and his views on minority groups. The experiments explained these ideas of conformity and obedience so that we may conclude why people, with doubts or seemingly different ideas, followed Hitler’s Anti Semitic and sadistic ideas.