'The film Swing Kids provides many insights into why German youth feared and revered the Nazis.'The film Swing Kids, directed by Thomas Carter, is set in Germany. just before the outbreak of World War II. The story focuses on a group of friends, Peter, Thomas and Arvid, all sharing a passion for the underground swing music movement. Swing music was seen at the time as a symbol of rebellion among German youth, as it was very frowned upon by the Nazis. The Nazis believed that Germans who listened to a type of music created by African Americans and largely played by Jews were traitors to their country. This was due to the Nazis' adoption of the Aryan ideal of the "super race", which meant that one had to have had at least three generations without non-Aryan heritage. Those who opposed the ideal and those who did not fit into it were considered impure and harmful to Germany's development. The Aryan ideal was linked to the extreme anti-Semitism shown towards the Jewish people, who were used as a scapegoat by the Nazis for Germany's problems and its downfall after World War I. The Nazis' hold on Germany was based on people's unconditional obedience, whether through fear or respect. Many people simply followed Nazi policies to avoid trouble and persecution, whether or not they agreed with the policy they were following, because the need for safety was more important to people. The film Swing Kids provides examples of how German youth both loved and feared the Nazis. Those who sought power admired them and wanted to be part of the movement, and those who were possible targets of the Nazis lived in fear of them. The Aryan ideal was middle of paper......suicide, unable to cope with the fear of being punished by the Nazis. I believe that the unprecedented rise of the Nazi Party was partly due to the circumstances in Germany after the collapse of the Weimar Republic. Many people in Germany lived in grinding poverty, and the country was trying to regain stability after World War II. Additionally, many people were still angry at the way Germany had been treated by the Allies under the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler and his Nazis rose to the occasion and presented a united, organized front that promised to make Germany a great and powerful nation. By blaming the Jewish people and other sections of society for all of the country's problems, Hitler united the Germans by giving them someone to blame. This led German youth to find themselves caught between following the Nazi cause or opposing it..