The Holocaust

(Excerpted from “Models of Obedience,” pp. 235–37 in Facing History and Ourselves: Holocaust and Human Behavior) A former member of the Hitler Youth writes:

[It’s] especially easy to manipulate children at that age… If you can drill the notion into their heads, you are from a tribe, a race that is especially valuable. And then you tell them something about the Germanic tribes, their loyalty, their battles… Then there were the songs… “Before the foreigner robs you of your crown, O Germany, we would prefer to fall side by side.” Or “The flag is dearer than death.” Death was nothing. The flag, the people — they were everything. You are nothing, your people everything. Yes, that’s how children were brought up, that’s how you can manipulate a child.

This passage gives insight into how children were raised to view Hitler and Germany. When you look at this passage, what do you think and feel? Write your reflection here.

Once you have completed the questions before, please go to the vocab assignment: ) Once you finish the vocab lesson, please share three words you learned about and their meanings in the lesson in the space below.

Choose one of your vocabulary words, do an image search for the word and try to find a picture that might relate the word to the Holocaust. Share it below.