Throughout German history propaganda has been imminent. As Germany was in preparation for and carried out World War II, propaganda was implemented in a variety of forms. This occurrence was necessary to the Germans for several reasons but to primarily serve four main Nazi agendas consisting of the ideology of unified national community, racial purity, the glorification of the German military and public hatred of foreign enemies. Various forms of media including posters, newspapers, radio and film were employed by Nazi Germany to assist in their aim for their messages to be successfully communicated to the German public in an effort of indoctrinating them to conform to such ideologies.
The first aim of Nazi Germany propagandists was the want to attain pure devotion to Germany through the introduction of national community. This community of the people was to replace the divided party system and class barriers of the Weimar republic and in effect offer the prospect of national unity to the people of Germany. Propaganda was instilled to convince that ideological correctness must be put before self interest. In fact Vasey comments “what we call obedience was understood and experienced by Germans as faithfulness, loyalty and willingness to sacrifice for the community.” This Nazi totalitarianism propaganda aimed at making the people believe that they owe it to Germany to conform to such ideas of creating a national community and perfect race with no one being exempt from the obligation to devote one’s life to Germany. Nationalism was a German phenomenon that “paved the way for Hitler’s anti-Semitic propaganda.”
The Essay on To What Extent Did Propaganda Influence Nazi Consolidation Of Power 1933 1939
The Nazi regime in Germany implemented itself swiftly and effectively the National Socialists had only three Nazis in a cabinet of twelve in January 1933, yet within two months Hitler had consolidated his political power by entirely legal means . With this, came the need for support from the German public. For a regime to consolidate its power people could be too afraid to rebel against it, or ...
The Nazi regime also strived to encourage and instil the idea of a need for racial purity throughout the German population. Through racial teaching and propaganda they preached an ongoing hatred of not only Jews, Communists and Social Democrats but also German Alcoholics, those with genetic diseases, Illness or physical malformations. Hitler proclaimed that “the stronger must dominate and not blend with the weaker”, in an effort to reinforce the need to weed out the feeble and promote strength and power vital to Germany. Any race or human that did not conform or match the superiority of the so called Aryan (German) race were outcast, excluded and even justifiably eradicated from society.
Anti-Semitism was Hitler’s core ideology. Through means of propaganda Hitler aimed to lead the German population to believe that Jewish people were responsible for all of Germany’s problems even pronouncing “the personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew.” He wanted the people to accept that Jews were not human but a lower breed of scum, vermin possessing devil like qualities “harbouring corruption, crime and chaos”. These Jewish stereotypes provided a focal point for propaganda campaigns which created an atmosphere tolerant of violence against Jews and projected the overall aim of pointing out the pros of the Nazi purification ideology. Such powerful, repetitive propaganda encouraged passivity and acceptance from German people of the violent measures against the Jews.
A further aim of Nazi Germany was to glorify the German Military. As “Germany identified itself as a land of military superiority”, it was important to project this view onto the German public. Following their defeat in WWI, most Germans were depressed and lacked pride in being German. They felt as if the “entire international community blamed them for the brutality and death toll of World War One”. The widespread discontent of German desperation fuelled desire for change in leadership. Hitler led Germans in the regaining of power and national pride becoming a “seemingly flawless revolutionary figure for the German people”, ultimately glorifying the Nazi military and their ideas.
The Essay on Why was Hitler so popular in Germany?
In this essay, I will be exploring the reasons why Adolf Hitler became so popular in Germany. I will reflect back on his promises to German citizens whilst also looking at his visions of the perfect world and how he thought he could achieve it. The first reason the Germans loved Hitler was because of how much they hated the Treaty of Versailles. Hitler promised Germany he would tear it up. The ...
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[ 1 ]. C.M. Vasey, Nazi Ideology, Lanham MD: Hamilton Books, 2006, Pg 33
[ 2 ]. C.M. Vasey, Nazi Ideology, Lanham MD: Hamilton Books, 2006, Pg 31
[ 3 ]. Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, London: Hutchinson & Co LTD, 1969, Pg 259.
[ 4 ]. Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf, London: Hutchinson & Co LTD, 1969, Pg 294.
[ 5 ]. David Welch, Hitler, UK: UCL press, 1998, Pg 80.
[ 6 ]. C.M. Vasey, Nazi Ideology, Lanham MD: Hamilton Books, 2006, Pg 31
[ 7 ]. “Adolf Hitler.” Britannica Online Encyclopaedia. 4 December 2007. Accessed Sunday May 9 2010. http://www.britannica.com/eb/article-9106283
[ 8 ]. http://sitemaker.umich.edu/fascistpersonalitycult/adolf_hitler. Accessed Sunday May 9 2010.
