By December 1936, Hitler Youth membership had reached over five million. That same month, membership became mandatory for Aryans under the "Gesetz über die Hitlerjugend" (Hitler Youth Law). This legal obligation was reaffirmed in March 1939 with the "Jugenddienstpflicht" (Youth Service Duty), which conscripted all German youths into the Hitler Youth—even if the parents objected. Parents who refused to allow their children to join were subject to investigation by the authorities. From then on, the vast majority of Germany's teenagers belonged to the Hitler Youth. By 1940, it had eight million members.