The Third Wave was an experimental social movement created by high school history teacher Ron Jones in 1967 to explain how the German populace could accept the actions of the Nazi regime during the Second World War. While he taught his students about Nazi Germany during his "Contemporary World History" class, Jones found it difficult to explain how the German people could accept the actions of the Nazis, and decided to create a social movement as a demonstration of the appeal of fascism. As the movement grew outside his class and began to number in the hundreds, Jones began to feel that the movement had spiraled out of control.
Pair “The Third Wave” with “First They Came…” and ask students to discuss how authoritarian systems create false senses of superiority and community. How are these senses of superiority and community used to justify terrible acts? How does this group mindset promote silence?