Propaganda in Nazi Germany
The Nazi’s made use of a variety of methods to enforce their will on the people of Germany. One of these methods was aggressive use of the media for their own political means – propaganda.
Propaganda is a means of advertising a political idea. In the case of the NSDAP in its early days this took the form of posters, public meetings / speeches and a conscious decision to present the party in a particular manner.
Posters: Click on these thumbnails to see larger versions of these examples of early Nazi Propaganda.
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| “Citizens! Do not believe that the Germany of misfortune and misery, the nation of corruption and usury, the land of Jewish corruption, can be saved by parties that claim to stand on a foundation of facts. Never!”
This poster advertised a speech that Hitler was due to make in May 1920. |
Another early example of a Nazi poster, again inviting people to attend a speech by Adolf Hitler in Munich. The choice of colours here is deliberate. Red was believed to ‘arouse the opponents’ of National Socialism – and of course, is highly visible and therefore attracts more attention.
This poster dates from 1921. |
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| Following the failure of the Munich Putsch it is noticeable that the design of the Propaganda posters alters quite radically. Early posters such as these are largely text based, make use of rhetoric and entice the passer by through use of striking background colours and carefully chosen slogans. Later examples of Propaganda Posters tend to be image based, portraying the strength of National Socialism, portraying Germany as the Fatherland etc. | |||
Use of Film
The Nazi’s commissioned many propaganda films. Amongst the best known are the Triumph of the Will and The Eternal Jew. Propaganda filsm allowed the Nazi’s to portray positive images of their policies and to deliberately misinform the population about things.
Germany 1919 – 1945 Links
The Second Reich
Unification of Germany – Political systems within the Second Reich – German Society during the Second Reich – Collapse of the Second Reich
Weimar Republic
Interim Government – Founding of the Weimar Republic – Impact of the First World War on Germany – The Treaty of Versailles and its impact on Germany – Weimar Constitution – 1919-1923: Years of Crisis? – Spartacist Uprising – Kapp Putsch – Reichsbanner Schwarz-Rot-Gold – Reparations – Hyperinflation in Germany, 1923 – 1924-1928: A Golden Era? – 1925 Presidential Election – Gustav Stresemann – German Foreign Relations 1919-1932 – Germany in the Great Depression – Failings of the Weimar Republic – Dada Movement
Rise of the Nazi Party
The Munich Putsch – Did the Economic Crisis of 1923 help the Nazi’s? – Origins of the Nazi Party – Rise of the Nazi Party
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Totalitarian Regime in Nazi Germany – How did Hitler consolidate power? – Mein Kampf – Nazi methods of control – Opposition to the Nazi Regime – Organisation of the Nazi Party – Fuhrerprinzip – Kristallnacht – Youth and Education – Goering and the 2nd 4 Year Plan – Anti-Jewish Boycott, 1933 – Nazi Anti-Semitism – DAF (The German Labour Front) – Propaganda in Germany 1919-39 – Economic Policy of the Nazi Party – Kreisau Circle – The Confessing Church – Catholic Church – Edelweiss Pirates
Biographies
Ludwig Beck – Dietrich Bonhoeffer – Bishop Clemens von Galen – Carl Goerdeler – Robert Ley – Helmuth von Moltke – Martin Niemoller – Erwin Rommel – Hjalmar Schacht – Sophie Scholl – Albert Speer – Claus von Stauffenberg – Fritz Todt