Summary
Summary Nazi Germany - Propaganda Evaluation
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- CIE
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How important was propaganda in keeping Germany under control?After succeeding in ending democracy and turning Germany into a one-party dictatorship,
the Nazis orchestrated a massive propaganda campaign to win the loyalty and cooperation
of the German people. By having effective propaganda leaders such as Joseph Goebbels, the
Nazi’s were able to control and manipulate the German mindset. This took control of all
forms of communication in Germany, such as newspapers, magazines, books, rallies, radio
and movies. A way the Nazi’s dominated propaganda was through censorship, as they often
used the SA to intimidate political rivals, as well as the introduction of laws which punished
individuals who created work/art seen to incite hatred (Volksverhertzung – Incitement of
the masses) towards the Nazi regime. Moreover, Goebbels was able to oppress ideologies
which opposed those of Adolf Hitler by dismissing teachers, scientists and artists from their
jobs, who were replaced with handpicked pro-Nazi supporters, such as Robert Wagner, a
German musician who created traditional music that personified the Nazi regime and
German glory. By doing this, Hitler was able to reduce the chances of people asking
questions about the validity of his dictatorship, as well as minimise foreign influence on the
German society, allowing the Nazi’s to have such a dominant control over the people. The
first cases of censorship can be exemplified in 1933; as immediately after Hitler’s official rise
to power, he started a campaign conducted by the German Student Union, with the purpose
to ceremonially burn books which were viewed as being subversive or as representing
ideologies opposed to Nazism. These included books written by Jewish, Communist,
Religious and Anarchist authors, which proved to be successful due to the immediate
reduction in opposers of Hitler’s ideology, seen with the number of artists, musicians, and
scientists that left the nation. Moreover, by burning Jewish books, Hitler was able to riddle
all ideas that mentioned Judaism in a supportive manner, which symbolised the sense of
destroying their culture. As the minister of enlightenment, Goebbels had two main tasks;
ensure nobody in Germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaging to the
Nazi party and put across the Nazis in the most persuasive manner as possible. This can be
exemplified posters, banners and the radio, which were mainly used to demonstrate
Germany’s achievements during the Nazi regime, while comparing them to the failures of
the Weimar republic. By doing this, Goebbels was able to set the foundations for Hitler’s
long-term support, as he glorified him as being the father of Germany, idolising him into a
position of unchallenged power. “The best propaganda is that which, as it were, works
invisibly, penetrates the whole of life without the public having any knowledge of the
propagandistic initiative” – Goebbels.
In evaluation, propaganda was an essential factor to keeping Germany under control. By
oppressing resistance, Goebbels was able to create an ideal environment where Hitler could
rise to power without needing to contest against political opponents or people with ideas
that contrast from those of the Nazi regime, allowing him to control the overall mindset of
the nation, and the people’s feelings against those who are not “true Aryans”.
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