Adolf Hitler preached in Mein Kampf that the education and training of each young German "must be so ordered as to give him the conviction that he is absolutely superior to others." The Nazis energetically recruited the younger generation of Germans, who were both impressionable and enthusiastic.

The Hitlerjugend (HJ; Hitler Youth) was established in 1926, and by 1934, under the leadership of Baldur von Schirach, it reached a membership of 3.5 million. By 1939 membership in the Hitler Youth--and its companion organization, the Bund Deutscher Mädel (BDM; League of German Girls)--became compulsory, and its numbers rose to almost nine million Germans between the ages of 10 and 18. Youths were attracted to the camaraderie, the semimilitary hiking and camping, and the HJ sports competitions.

Some young Germans resisted assimilation. Working-class youths formed anti-Nazi gangs, called the "Edelweiss Pirates." They hiked and camped, too, but they often attacked Hitler Youth patrols. Others, from upper-middle-class backgrounds, such as the so-called "Swing Youth," engaged in counterculture activities, such as dancing to American jazz, which was considered "Negro music" by the regime.