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.