The Effectiveness Of Nazi Propaganda

There is no doubt that the Nazis committed unspeakable acts of horror during the Holocaust. Millions of Jews were murdered by people enthralled by the propaganda of Hitler and the Nazi Party. The main question however is how ordinary people were convinced to take part in horrible acts. Many explanations exist to answer this question. Author William Golding suggested that all humans have the capability to be Nazis. One can certainly believe this statement after acknowledging the horrific acts of the common German during the Holocaust. I agree that every human has the capability to commit unspeakable acts of horror under the right conditions.

What would make a group of people ignore their country’s own genocide? In Nazi Germany, the answer was propaganda. From the end of World War I, the German leaders knew how important propaganda was. By the time Hitler had complete control of the military, the powerful propaganda film Triumph de Willens was already being produced . By the time the second offensive started, they had already launched an international propaganda magazine called Signal. Both of these are prime examples of the purpose of German propaganda. Like earlier British propaganda, it had two primary roles. First, the control of the people. Gobbels’ propaganda about “national enemies” made it seem as if the Nazis were the only alternative to a loss in national security. The second goal was scaring foreign powers. Through international magazines and radio broadcasts such as Signal, German power and victories were highlighted and shown to the world. The three key issues are the attacks on Jews and Communists, the origins of these methods, and the uses of these methods to create a powerful Nazi government. Through slandering and suppression of the opposition of the Nazis, Hitler’s media soon became the voice of the country. The Nazi Party used propaganda to gain power out of fear for national security.

Some ways the holocaust was implemented was the use of propaganda, the relocation of people to Ghettos, the creation of laws to strip people of their rights, and the use of technology to increase the efficiency of the machinery of genocide. I think one of the most effect sytstem was using propaganda because a picture is worth a thousand words. Seeing how the Nazis used propaganda and how that system was very effective and terrible.

Propaganda in general is the idea of getting others to believe in one’s own beliefs. Propaganda is the “attempt to influence behavior…by affecting through the use of mass media of communications, the manner in which a mass audience perceives and ascribes meaning to the material world.”1 Propaganda was a major part of Germany’s way to brain wash people into following Hitler and his army. The theme of Hitler and Goebbels, (Paul Joseph Goebbels, was appointed Hitler’s Reichspropagandaleiter, the Nazis national director of propaganda), using propaganda, “was to merge the traditional German patriotism with Nazi ideological motifs”2, this was basically used from1919 to 1945.

Over the course of history there have been numerous wars, and during those wars there has been one thing that has helped in the victors struggle. Propaganda which is the misleading nature of information which is used to promote a particular political cause or point of view was used by the common people in 1914 when World War 1 began, World War 2 Followed the first World War after over two decades and like the first war Propaganda was a main factor. The Allies and the Nazi’s used Propaganda during WWII to attract the general interest of the population in an attempt to gain their favor against the opposing forces.

Propaganda was used to be prejudice against Jews;it was something that made them feel bad about themselves and their decisions. Jews were being treated with hostility because of the religion they were.

From January 30, 1933 to May 8, 1945 the Holocaust took place. The Holocaust was a mass genocide in which more than six million European Jews were killed by Adolf Hitler and his Nazis. Adolf Hitler used propaganda, also known as the art of persuasion, to shape the idea that the Jewish people were the reason that Germany was doing so awfully. Hitler appointed Dr Joseph Goebbels to be in charge of the Nazi propaganda. Goebbels controlled things such as books, film, and newspapers to show the idea that Nazi Germany was making fair demands when it came to the detainment and killing of Jewish people. For example, the film The Eternal Jew directed by Fritz Hippler depicts the Jew as “An oriental barbarian who has insinuated himself cleverly into European society, and now

70 Million. 3%. 6 Years. All these numbers have one thing in common, World War 2. It is horrendous to think that 70 million people’s lives can end in 6 years. Still, this number could be far more drastic had it not been for a number of things. Propaganda was one such thing. It was used to: implementing rations, swaying moods, or even in some cases controlling opinions. This was utilized by both the axis and allied powers throughout the war.

The Forms of Propaganda Used by the State in Nazi Germany One of the purposes of dictatorship was to give the Nazis control of people's lives. The more control they had, the more easily they could put their aims into effect. The job of controlling people thus became one of the main tasks of the Nazi state. Party propaganda was evident throughout German society and served as a means by which the state could effectively reach every German and summon absolute loyalty to the Nazi party. Following the Nazi party's rise to power in 1933, Hitler established the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda headed by Joseph Goebbels - who was a master of propaganda that used all means at his

Propaganda was recognized by Hitler and his men as an important tool for the success of a regime. As Goebbels said in 1934, “Propaganda was our sharpest weapon in conquering the state, and remains our sharpest weapon in maintaining and building up the state.” Practically, propaganda was aimed at winning support for policies and keeping the population contented. Yet more than that, it was aimed to indoctrinate the nation to believe in a ‘people’s community’ and to ‘mobilize the spirit’. Goebbels wanted to create ‘one single public opinion’ that was committed to the regime, yet the effect of propaganda varied across different social groups, and changed over time. Some such as Welch thought the

Propaganda today is not really used in today's society. However in the book “1984” written by George Orwell and in Nazi Germany, propaganda was used in every opportunity that was given. The propaganda used was to serve two simple purposes. One purpose is to brainwash the people into believing that whatever the government is doing is right and the second purpose is to get the people to hate a certain group of people or ideology. In “1984” and in Nazi Germany they used propaganda to the fullest extent. Propaganda can be used in multiple forms: posters, radio broadcasting, t.v. broadcasting and a bunch of other ways.

Scholars including Nicholas O’Shaughnessy argue that the Nazi regime was successful in selling Nazism as the “Nazi brand” through propaganda. According to O’Shaughnessy, Hitler did not believe that Germany could win the war through military efforts alone, and were required to use propaganda to solicit support and aid in this victory (57). His propaganda was segmented, anti-Semitic, managed, creative, and steeped in manipulation. The propaganda that the Nazi Party propagated was flexible to the extent that they were able to maneuver successfully around any new event that were to surface by creating new arguments related to

One of the main reasons why Hitler was able to stay in control and significantly enhance his sphere of influence in Germany during 1933 - 39 was due to the strong usage of campaigns, media and propaganda. Being the head of propaganda himself during the early years of Nazi Party in 1919, Hitler was aware of the value that positive propaganda could bring. Hence, he ensured to have a strong ministry of propaganda under Joseph Goebbels immediately after coming to power. Hitler’s main aim was to persuade and influence German people to create a totalitarian state, and Goebbels followed this by using several strategies. The party used propaganda to convey Nazi, successes, benefits, beliefs, and policies to the Germans to get popularity and support.

Martin Doherty studied History and Politics at the London School of Economics. He is currently a lecture of History at the University of Westminster. His other publication is for example The attack on the Altmark: a case study in wartime propaganda.

Hitler understood that the “receptivity of the great masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting is enormous. In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these in slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogan.”