How Successful was Nazi Propaganda? Dr Joseph Goebbels

1. How Successful was Nazi Propaganda? Dr Joseph Goebbels Goebbels joined the Nazi Party in 1925 and became the party’s expert on propaganda. He invented the Hitler Myth by publishing pamphlets and organizing demonstrations and election campaigns. In 1933, Goebbels was appointed Minister of Propaganda and Popular Enlightenment. His first task was to take control of all newspapers, films, radio stations and the arts. Goebbels was a master of his art, and exploited every opportunity to its full potential, even if he hadn’t initially created the opportunity. Goebbels was violently anti-Semitic and was the author of the Nuremburg Laws of 1935, as well as being the organiser of Kristallnacht. What is Propaganda? Propaganda is the systematic spreading of information, or misinformation. The aim is to instil particular attitudes in people, to get them to think and believe what you want them to. For Goebbels this involved getting the Germans to believe in Nazi ideas and be loyal to Hitler. It has been widely used by governments to distort the facts and maintain popularity and in some cases, morale. Propaganda comes in many forms. Perhaps the most subtle, yet effective, is in the form of posters. What do you think are the essential features of an effective propaganda campaign? Explain your ideas fully.

2. How did propaganda work? • Newspapers only printed favourable stories. Editors had to go to Goebbels every morning to be told what to print. • Goebbels ran the radio stations. He produced cheap radio sets – the VE radio cost 76 marks, the DKE cost only 35 marks (a week’s wages). This meant that everyone could hear Hitler’s speeches. • Loudspeaker pillars were built in the streets to that people could hear announcements at all times. • All cafes had to have their radios turned on for important programmes. • Mass rallies were the most spectacular medium. These sometimes lasted a whole week. • Mass Rallies • Nazi mass rallies were always organized to perfection, and were in large areas which could accommodate thousands of people. As well as speeches by Hitler, they usually included gymnastic displays, army parades, choirs and brass bands and were finished off with an air force display and fireworks. • They were often filmed for later use. Young, blonde women were usually pulled to the front of the crowd to emphasize the idea of the Aryan nation, and Hitler was often filmed with young children.