Part I introduces the five protagonists of the book by discussing their childhood and youth during and after World War II. What made them choose economics? What made them amenable to the ideology of Marxism-Leninism as taught in their undergraduate studies? This chapter focuses on their experiences with Nazism, their socialization in the Hitler Youth, and the discrimination they were subjected to because of their ethnic or religious identity. It also highlights the postwar tumults that made them prone to the postwar propaganda on securing peace in the name of socialism and the opportunities to engage in ideological confrontation during the first cleansing waves at university.

Chapter 5 examines the pre-war experiences of ordinary Germans, focusing on the demographic categories of women, men, children, and university students. Nazi ideology subscribed to traditional notions of masculinity and femininity, and to traditional gender roles in the realms of work, domesticity, sex, and family. The Nazi regime saw homosexuality as a threat to the traditional gender order, and expanded arrests and prosecutions for male homosexuality. Although Nazism preferred women to remain at home, labor shortages caused by military conscription of men led the regime to encourage women to seek employment. In pursuit of prenatal policies, the regime toughened the legal prohibition on abortion and placed restrictions on birth control. German children aged 10–18 were subjected to cultural and ideological indoctrination in the Hitler Youth. Boys learned military-style drill, preparing them for eventual induction into the armed forces. Girls learned crafts, sewing, and other presumably feminine skills. Sporting and outdoor activities were emphasized for both boys and girls. Many young Germans enjoyed their time in the Hitler Youth, but there were also nonconformist youth, some of whom enjoyed disrupting Hitler Youth programs. The regime shrank the university system and subjected its students to political indoctrination, which many resented as heavy-handed and as a distraction from their studies.