Nazi Propaganda

“The task of propaganda is not to make an objective study of the truth…but to convince the masses.

-Adolf Hitler, Mein Kampf

Nazi Propaganda

What is propaganda? Propaganda is biased information designed to

shape public opinion and behavior.

Hitler’s propaganda experience?

Opera’s of Richard Wagner

Georg Ritter von Schoenerer, leader of the Austrian Pan-German party

Karl Lueger, Vienna’s Christian Social mayor

World War I- Hitler’s praised the skill of enemy propagandists

World War I Propaganda

The Role of Propaganda in Nazi Strategy

Hitler joins German Workers Party Encourages leaders to take out ads and promote

meetings Organizes mass meetings

Hitler becomes propaganda director Creates the party’s flag Has ancient roots with Hindu’s in Italy

The Role of Propaganda in Nazi Strategy

The Role of Propaganda in Nazi Strategy

Hitler’s ideas were not particularly new, what was new was the attention he paid to presentation, how he said something rather than what he said.

Hitler’s salute came from Mussolini’s Fascists which they borrowed from the ancient Romans

He also modeled his brown shirts on Mussolini’s black shirts

The Success of Nazi Propaganda

Nazi party leaders provoked Communist and Social Democrat violence by marching the SA storm troopers into working class neighborhoods where they had strongholds.

Hitler Appointed Chancellor

Otto Dietrich

Nazi Party Press Chief

Joseph Goebbels

Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda

Nazi Propaganda

The Nazi’s quickly recognized the value of the media. From the early days of the party they used aggressive advertising to promote the nazi ideologyGoebbels was in charge of ‘enlightening’ the German public

Book Burnings

Nazi students unload confiscated materials for the public book burning that is to take place on the Opernplatz in Berlin. The banner on the back of the truck reads: "German students march against the un-German spirit."

Book Burnings

Link to Book Burnings

Nazi Propaganda: Methods

Word of the WeekPostersRadioFilmNewspapers

Nazi Control of Press

Newspapers

Censoring newspapers ensures that only the news you want people to read is available to the publicNazi party members wrote many articles for the press, ensuring that the message was always positiveMany publications were banned

Der Sturmer

Der Sturmer

Joke of the Times

“I told my wife that if I die, don’t let them put it in the newspaper, because no one will believe it”

Nazi Control of Radio

Hitler’s Speeches

Hitler is considered to have been one of the greatest public speakers of all time.

Nazi Control of Film

Film was used to show Hitler in a positive light as often as possibleThe Nazi’s commissioned several films, each carefully portraying a certain imageTriumph of the Will Directed by Leni Riefenstahl taken at Nazi Party Rally in Nuremburg-

1934 considered a documentary masterpiece

Film: The Eternal Jew

Film: The Eternal Jew

Winning the Masses

“One people, one government, one leader.”

Posters Creating One People

Posters are cheap and easy to distributePlaced in prominent positions they act as a constant reminder of ideologyCan be used for many purposes

Examples of Nazi Posters

PostersGlorifying“Aryans”

Nazi Youth

“All Girls Join Us”Youth Serves the Fuhrer. All ten-year-olds join the Hitler Youth.”

Nazi Men

Nazi Women

Nazi Women

"Healthy Parents have Healthy Children."

Anti-Jewish Propaganda Campaigns

Nazi’s had to determine who was and who wasn’t a full-fledged member of the national community.

Then and Now

“You are Sharing the Load! A Genetically Ill Individual Costs Approximately 50,000 Reichsmarks by the Age of Sixty”

Propaganda

Propaganda

'The Costs of the Congenitally Diseased'.

Propaganda

'60.000 reichsmarks is what this hereditarily ill person will cost the national community over the course of his life. Citizen, this is also your money!

Race Propaganda

Race Propaganda

"The result! A loss of racial pride."

Race Defiler1936

Language of Propaganda

Employment office- “labor mobilization”

Worker- “Soldier of Labor”

Work- “Service to Fuehrer and folk”

Factory Meeting- “Factory Roll Call”

Production- “The Production Battle”

Education

Don't Trust the Fox in the Green Meadow or The Jew On His Oath.

Der Fiftpilz:The Poisonous Mushroom

Link to The Poison Mushroom

Education

Education

Education

State of Deception

Themes of the Exhibit

Online Exhibit: Making a Leader

Guiding Question

Some have said that Hitler would not have come to power without the work of Goebbels. Look at the posters in this section and determine what traits for Hitler are being promoted?

Online Exhibit: Rallying the Nation

Guiding QuestionWhat does the Nazi Party offer the German people that propels it to dominate the multitude of other political parties?

Online Exhibit: Indoctrinating the Youth

Guiding Question

What are the messages used to educate (Nazify) the youth?

Online Exhibit: Defining the Enemy

Guiding Question

What strategies were used by the Nazi government to move the masses to the Nazi Utopian society?

Online Exhibit: Writing the News

Guiding QuestionsHow was the Nazi use of media a systematic strategy to control the masses?What was their goal? The tools used?

The outcome?

Online Exhibit: Deceiving the Public

Guiding Questions

What were the deceptions?

What did the deceptions offer the German nation?

Online Exhibit: Assessing Guilt

Guiding Question

1945 = Denazification of Germany

What was the International outcome of the prosecution of Julius Streicher, Hans Fritzsche, and Leni Riefenstahl?

Propaganda for War

1936 Olympics

Kristallnacht

Invasion of Poland

Propaganda for Mass Murder

Theresienstadt

Between July 1943 and May 1944, German battlefield deaths averaged 70,000 per month Did not report these figures Instead propaganda focused on what would

happen if Germans lost

Propaganda on Trial