Make the lie bigMake it simple
Keep saying it, and Eventually they will believe it
Adolf Hitler
What is propaganda?
• Propaganda is the use of the Media to aggressively promote one point of view.
• Propaganda is ‘brainwashing’ of the public, convincing them of an ideological viewpoint.
What is Censorship?
• Censorship is the suppression of speech or deletion of communicative material which may be considered objectionable, harmful or sensitive, as determined by a censor.
• The Nazi’s quickly recognised the value of the media. From the early days of the party they used aggressive advertising to promote the Nazi ideology
• Goebbels was in charge of ‘enlightening’ the German public.
• Hitler gave him the title of Minister of Propaganda and Enlightenment.
What methods did the Nazi’s use?
• Posters• Radio• Film• Newspapers
Posters• Posters are cheap and
easy to distribute• Placed in prominent
positions they act as a constant reminder of ideology
• Can be used for many purposes
Vote Hitler
Death lies with Marxism
Posters advertising the film – The Eternal Jew
• "Health, child protection, fighting poverty, aiding travellers, community, helping mothers: These are the tasks of the National Socialist People's Charity. Become a member!"
Radio• Hitler is considered to have been one of
the greatest public speakers of all time.
• Radio wardens appointed to report on people’s reactions to specific broadcasts
• Provisions made for cheap radios called Volksempfänger (people’s receiver)
• Volksempfänger could not pick up foreign broadcasts
• Between 1932-9 the number of families with radios rose from 25% to 70%
Film
• Film was used to show Hitler in a positive light as often as possible.
• The Nazi’s commissioned several films, each carefully portraying a certain image.
• Film going quadrupled between 1933 and 1942.
• Nazi government bought up shares in 4 major film companies
• Film going quadrupled between 1933 and 1942
• Over 1000 films produced during the Third Reich
• By 1942 film companies completely state controlled
Newspapers• Censoring newspapers ensures that
only the news you want people to read is available to the public
• Nazi party members wrote many articles for the press, ensuring that the message was always positive
• Many publications were banned
• 1933 there were 4,700 daily newspapers, 3% controlled by NSDP
• 1944 997 daily newspapers, 82% controlled by NSDP
• From 1933 all editors and journalists had to be accredited by Goebbels
Music• Germany had a rich
classical tradition which suited the Nazi’s cultural propaganda objectives
• Jewish composers, e.g. Mahler and Mendelssohn were banned
How successful was Nazi propaganda?
• It strengthened support for Hitler, but not its policies e.g. anti-Semitism
• Nazi’s gained support from propaganda when it played on traditional German prejudices such as nationalism and a fear of Bolshevism.
• May not have appealed to all groups in German society.