How did policies address youth and indoctrination in authoritarian states?

Authoritarian states often used policies to control education and youth organisations to indoctrinate young people with state ideologies.

In authoritarian states, the youth were seen as a crucial demographic that could be moulded to support the regime. Policies were implemented to control education and youth organisations, with the aim of indoctrinating young people with state ideologies. This was done through a variety of methods, including the rewriting of textbooks, the implementation of state-approved curriculums, and the establishment of youth organisations that promoted the state's ideology.

For instance, in Nazi Germany, the Hitler Youth was established as a way to indoctrinate young people with Nazi ideology. The organisation was compulsory for all young people and included activities such as military training, ideological instruction, and community service, all of which were designed to instil a sense of loyalty and obedience to the Nazi regime. Similarly, in the Soviet Union, the Komsomol, a political youth organisation, was used to indoctrinate young people with communist ideology. Members were taught to be loyal to the party, to reject religion, and to value collective over individual interests.

In terms of education, authoritarian states often implemented policies that controlled what was taught in schools. In Nazi Germany, for example, textbooks were rewritten to include Nazi ideology and to portray other races and cultures in a negative light. In the Soviet Union, the state-controlled education system was used to teach children about the virtues of communism and the evils of capitalism.

In addition to controlling education and youth organisations, authoritarian states also used propaganda to indoctrinate young people. This was done through state-controlled media, which was used to promote the state's ideology and to portray the regime in a positive light. For example, in Nazi Germany, the state-controlled media was used to promote the idea of Aryan superiority and to demonise Jews and other minority groups.

In conclusion, authoritarian states used a variety of policies to control and indoctrinate young people. These policies were designed to ensure that the youth would grow up to be loyal supporters of the regime, thus helping to maintain the state's power and control.