Musical youth propaganda in the Third Reich – Hitlerjugend songs

Abstract

The practice of joint singing can create a temporary sense of community. This explains the presence of manipulative political songs, which played a considerable role in Hitler Youth activities. The messages they conveyed were seen as important social values and created a ideal personality, i.e. an individual with a strong will and fortitude, willing to make sacrifices, at the same time intellectually and uncritically obedient and committed to the community. Unsurprisingly, songs were used in the Third Reich as a tool to subjugate the population and indoc-trinate them.