fuhrer 101
TRANSCRIPT
Welcome to Führer 101
Elizabeth Lugones
Today's Topic: The methods of propaganda and repression used
Propaganda Methods
PropagandaPropaganda was huge, it was used for a variety of reasons including to criticize opponents, to teach, to enforce conformity, and to show their ideology.
Posters- Where simple, inexpensive, very visual. Prior to Nazi control the posters were used to sway the German people with focus on farmers, urban unemployment and poverty, and threat of Marxism and Jews. After Hitler came to power they had control of the media and used posters to create an image of conformity and one whole community. The posters were also used to show the achievements (unemployment, public works) and portray Hitler as a dominant figure.
Workers choose Hitler.
Do not sacrifice
Hitler build on help
Stop it now! Choose Hitler.
Newspaper- Not as powerful with statistics like 1 out of 20 (5%) Nazi voters being influenced by them. The Völkischer Beobachter ("People's Observer") was the official Newspaper of the NSDAP. It was mainly used to further spread ideological Nazi ideas.
Radio- This fairly new technology was used greatly. Biggest audience in Germany with in 1930s. By 1942 broadcasting to 16 million Germans. During wartime it was used to keep the people calm. It had a very strong impact with the broadcast of Hitler’s speeches.
Film- Was used as a way to distract the masses and ranged from comedies, dance films, and farces. At one point they were used to dehumanize Jews. It was also successful in creating more nationalism and militarism, with showings of heroism and sacrifice.
Events-Ceremonial torch-lit march
through the Brandenburg Gate to celebrate Hitler’s chancellorship.
Olympic Games in 1936 there was political stability, growing
prosperity. It was an impressive moment for Germany under Hitler.
Daily Life- This was trying to invade people's day to day life. Holy days were replaced with new celebrations such as Seizure of power, Nazi party Foundation, National Day of Labour, Mothering Sunday, and others. There is the Salute of “Heil Hitler ” which is another example. The government even sent the workers to concerts, sport facilities (Strength Through Joy).
Young- Created a colorful portrayal of national glory and conquest. Boys were to be trained as fearless soldiers and girls were taught to be loyal, submissive, and prolific mothers. There was organizations that included singing, hiking sports, camping and these were very appealing to the young groups.
Music, Art, Architecture- For music it was used to celebrate Germany rich culture. It was used in celebration and events. Modern art was seen as tainted. However, simple art was used to create feelings of heroism and glorifying the nation. Architecture was very grand. It was supposed to make the individual seeing it feel very small.
Repression Methods
Repression
Very little opposition was tolerated in Nazi Germany. There was the secret police called the Gestapo which put it into their best interest to extinguish any opposition, this usually included being sent to concentration camps . The SS will also stop opposition through arrests, detaining people, torturing them, and executions. However, there was also the repression of ideas. As Hitler had complete control of the media and what is being shown, there was complete repression of ideas. On specific
Nazi Propaganda― brilliant and vital for Hitler?One of the main reasons why there was little opposition towards the Nazi party was because of propaganda.
In the political sphere of Nazi Germany, people were constantly encouraged to follow the Nazi regime. Due to the devotion the party members felt towards Hitler, it made it easier to have control and implement his plans.
The people of Germany were brainwashed with the Nazi beliefs through movies, radio broadcasts, newspapers, etc...
Nazi Propaganda― brilliant and vital for Hitler?Ministry of Propaganda and Public Enlightenment
The Pro-Mi was created a few months after Hitler came to power in 1933, and the ministry proved to be one of his most influential tools during the height of Nazi power.
The ministry used its total control of all German media and entertainment tocement Hitler’s power in Germany. The 1930s saw a Hitler media cult emerge as a result of the propaganda, and the German people became more and more supportive of and loyal to the Führer.
Mein Führer!I know you well, and love you as I do my father and mother.I will always be obedient to you as I am to my father and mother.And when I am bigger, I will help you, as my father and mother do,And you will be proud of me, as my father and mother are!
A passage taken from a children’s textbook published in 1936.
This is just an example of early indoctrination or Nazi youth. The lessons children would take from
reading a book like this are exactly what Hitler and the Nazis wanted: loyalty and obedience to Hitler and
the strength to do whatHitler believed needed to be done.
Nazi Propaganda― brilliant and vital for Hitler?Yes, Hitler’s use of propaganda was brilliant vital for Hitler’s survival in power.
Through the use of propaganda, it allowed the Nazi party to take hold of the nation's imagination at a time of depression and low esteem, and essentially made it a lot easier for Hitler to have complete control.
It’s important to note that it wasn’t just the people of Germany that were brainwashed, but also the party members. They also idolized Hitler and would not dare to voice any opposition as they believed him to be right and they just didn’t want to y’know… DIE.
Nazi Repression― ruthless and essential?Though propaganda played a very important role in Hitler maintaining his power, propaganda only coerced people into the indoctrination spell cast by Hitler and not everybody was hypnotised. It was these individuals who dared oppose Hitler as well those he considered to be ‘inferior’ that were in the end of his repression methods.
He did this by controlling the minorities of Germany, the social misfits, the homosexuals, and the beggars, the prostitutes, the burdens on society, and of course, the Jews (@rylee). Hitler could not just simply target these groups of people, he had to convince the public it was right to do so in the first place so he stirred up resentment and anger towards the social outcasts amongst the population of Nazi Germany, through endless propaganda.
Nazi Repression― ruthless and essential?One of the major reasons as to why there was little or no opposition in Nazi Germany was the Police State. Briefly, Hitler would not have been able to cope if he had not the alliance of a police force capable of almost anything. If there was no force, people could have got away with rebelling against the regime and uproar would have followed.
Some adults clearly supported Hitler – as the March 1933 election showed. But the same election clearly showed that a substantial number of Germans did not support Hitler and the Nazis. These people were likely to be a constant thorn for Hitler unless they were dealt with. For these people, the Nazis developed a policy of intimidation.
Nazi Repression― ruthless and essential?This led to arrests purely based on the suspicion that the individual intended to wrong.
All local police units had to draw up a list of people in their locality who might be suspected of being “Enemies of the State”. This list was given to the Gestapo – the Secret Police. The Gestapo had the power to do as it liked.
In 1936, the Gestapo Law meant that the activities of the Gestapo were free from any review by courts of law. This law effectively meant that the Gestapo could do whatever they wanted.
So...Without propaganda and repression, there’s a very real possibility that Hitler would not have been able to achieve the level of control he wanted.
Also, it’s not a matter of one method being more important than the other as it was the use of both that made it all so effective.
How To Become Führer
Propaganda (manipulation) + Repression (fear) = Führer
Would the Nazi regime have survived without the work of Goebbels, the
Gestapo and the SS?
Joseph Goebbels
● Paul Joseph Goebbels was a German politician and Reich Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany from 1933 to 1945
● Shared hitler's anti-semitic views, but worse. good speaker. Publically advocated his progressively harsher discrimination
● After the Nazi Seizure of Power in 1933, Goebbels' Propaganda Ministry gained control over the news media, arts, and information in Germany
● Advocated the Nuremberg laws through media as well● In 1943, Goebbels began to pressure Hitler to introduce measures that would produce "total war"● Hitler finally appointed Goebbels as Reich Plenipotentiary for Total War on 23 July 1944● As the war was coming to a close, Goebbels followed Hitler into his Vorbunker● The day after Hitler committed suicide, Goebbels and his wife poisoned their children, then committed
suicide themselves
The Gestapo● Geheime Staatspolizei was the official secret police of Nazi Germany● It was under the administration of SS until 27 September 1939 when it was
administered by the Reichssicherheitshauptamt● It was responsible for state security and had the right to send people to
concentration camps
The SS● The Schutzstaffel was a major paramilitary organization under Adolf Hitler and the
NSDAP● Heinrich Himmler was the leader of the SS and heavily influenced the extermination of
Jews across Europe● It started as a small group of volunteers who would just provide security at party
meetings● eventually grew into one of the most powerful organizations in Nazi Germany● Was split into parts:
~The Allgemeine SS was responsible for enforcing the racial policy of Nazi Germany
~The Waffen-SS consisted of combat units of troops within Nazi Germany's military
~The SS-Totenkopfverbände ran the concentration camps and extermination camps
The Nazi regime would not have survived without the work of Goebbels, the
Gestapo and the SS
