Hitler, Goebbels and the Unstoppable Nazi Propaganda Machine
The Third Reich’s Vision of the Future and How They Planned to Achieve Their Goals
By Joseph Kolesnick
Page |1
Before getting into the thick of the Nazi Propaganda machine the idea of what propaganda
actually is needs to be broached. According to the Merriam-Webster dictionary propaganda is “the
spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, cause or
person.” 1 While this definition is acceptable it does not delve into the complexity that the Nazi
Propaganda machine had. Michael Balfour in his book Propaganda in War states, “A propagandist is
usually concerned with getting people to do things.”2 He follows this up by noting that the Nazis were
almost unique in their propaganda efforts because they said “that to stop to think was to start to doubt.”
Having this notion at the center of their philosophy becomes the driving force behind all of their actions.
From the time they were in the beer halls to when the Russians marched into Berlin the Nazi propaganda
machine rolled on always telling the people what they needed to know. They were extremely successful
in drumming up popular support for their causes and rallies due to charismatic leadership as well as a
constantly effective propaganda campaigns. The Nazi Party from their early beginnings were very
effective in their uses of propaganda because they had seen how effective propaganda was during World
War I. Adolf Hitler himself noted the importance of propaganda, especially the lessons he learned in the
Great War. “Adolf Hitler, haunted by the German defeat of 1918, which he attributed to a combination of
successful allied propaganda and a “stab in the back” carried out by Jews, Marxists, Liberals and others,
vowed to his compatriots, there never will be another November 1918 in German history.” 3 Hitler also
realized the power of propaganda on a global scale and as noted in Mein Kampf he praised the Allied
powers in World War I for their superior use of propaganda. The driving force behind the Nazi
Propaganda machine almost certainly came from Adolf Hitler himself. According to the OSS profile on
Adolf Hitler,
His primary rules were: never allow the public to cool off; never admit a fault or wrong; never
concede that there may be some good in your enemy; never leave room for alternatives; never
accept blame; concentrate on one enemy at a time and blame him for everything that goes wrong;
people will believe a big lie sooner than a little one; and if you repeat it frequently enough people
will sooner or later believe it.4
Nazi propaganda, especially when Hitler was involved, also had another component, theatrics. Hitler was
always famous for his amazing oratorical skills as well as his constant forceful hand gestures. Balfour
states that, “the approach is an insidious one which can be successful if it goes unchallenged. But, as
1
Merriam-Webster Dictionary
Michael Balfour, Propaganda in War: 1939-1945 (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul LTD, 1979) 422
3
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 101
4
Adolf Hitler OSS Psychological Profile
2
Page |2
advertisers and propagandists have found, it needs a naïve or sympathetic audience.”5 The Nazis had one
of the most effective political propaganda machines in whole of history because all of these elements
came together.
The machine’s gears began to move when Adolf Hitler joined the Nazi party and began to shape
its direction. From the outset Hitler was determined to create a propaganda machine that would be better
than the parties that were currently in power. “Hitler developed his ideas about propaganda from personal
experience… [He] was enthralled by German myths and German theater… The intense emotional power
of myth in operas, coupled with dramatic music, staging and lighting appealed to Hitler, and he later
incorporated many of these theatrical elements into the political events, rallies and meetings…”6 In order
to compete on the national stage in the Weimar Republic, Hitler felt that the party needed to evolve
beyond its individual local roots. To do so Hitler believed that “to destroy Marxism the Nazi party would
have to create a propaganda machine and its own terror organization, the SA… in other words he would
use the very weapons of the Marxist parties in the political struggle against them.” 7 Hitler had several
strategies for successful propaganda, “content was emotional and simple, presenting a case in black and
white; it concentrated on repeatedly making a few points, albeit in different forms; and it focused on one
enemy.”8
Hitler took these ideas about propaganda and began to use them in the party organizing rallies and
commissioning posters to attract new party members. He encouraged the writing of articles in papers,
leaflet distribution and called for mass mobilization. The party began to grow in leaps and bounds; soon
the Nazis purchased a newspaper and began writing their own ideas as opposed to having to force it
through editors. Everything about the party’s image had to be redesigned; the flag, the slogans, and the
goals were all on Hitler’s list. In order to further his goals, Hitler began to make deals with many of the
paramilitary groups that were very popular in Germany with veterans that could not find work. The
Freikorps, possibly the most well-known of these groups, sided with Hitler and in a ceremony give their
battle flags to him symbolizing their obedience. Many of the Freikorps members then joined the SA and
worked to help the Nazis bring terror to their political enemies. The Nazis began to expand and went on a
campaign to become a nationally recognized party. Hitler was a key tool in this effort as he continually
gave speeches as well as penning articles for Nazi papers when he was banned from public speaking in
certain areas. As the Nazis gained more national prominence they began to speed up the propaganda
5
Michael Balfour, Propaganda in War: 1939-1945 (London: Routledge & Kegan Paul LTD, 1979) 424
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 13
7
Ibid., 14
8
Ibid., 14
6
Page |3
machine. They did this by turning out hundreds of different posters and using modern advertising
techniques such as modest, vibrant pictures with simplistic sayings like “Work, Freedom, Bread!” to
catch the eye. Their campaigns were quite successful and the Nazis were gaining footing on the national
stage. “Rather than emphasizing a concrete strategy for solving Germany’s problems, the Nazis preferred
to keep their plans broad and amorphous. They understood that propaganda had to leave the German voter
with a sense of hope that the party could lead the country to freedom, unity and stability.”9 With these
ideas in a constant state of flux the Nazi party catered to everyone. Their message could appeal to anyone
at any time because their message was about acceptance and unity for Germany. As the crises in German
intensified so too did the Nazi’s bids for power. “In Berlin, Nazi Party leader Joseph Gobbels
intentionally provoked Communist and Social Democratic actions by marching SA storm troopers into
working-class neighborhoods where those parties had stronghold. Then he invoked the heroism of the
Nazi “martyrs” who were injured or killed in these battles to garner greater public support.” 10 These
tactics, as well as a few that will be mentioned later about the arts, were extremely effective and once
again helped the Nazis push towards victory.
Beer hall meetings and poster contributed to the meteoric rise of the Nazi party but new
technologies had a greater impact on the Nazis bid for power. Hitler was the focal point for many Nazi
rallies because of this; the airplane was a vital technology. “The party chartered Lufthansa airplanes to fly
Adolf Hitler around the country. Hailed by his publicists as Hitler over Germany, the innovative
technique electrified Germans in cities and in rural areas.”11 Air travel wasn’t the only method Hitler used
to move; he also traveled extensively using the train system as well as automobiles. While Hitler’s
traveling was important to the Nazi propaganda machine by far the most important technological
advancement for the Nazis was the radio. Hitler utilized the radio to reach untold masses, before and
especially after becoming chancellor of Germany. Hitler used the radio very effectively in 1933 when he,
“deployed the radio, press and newsreels to stoke fears of a pending Communist Uprising, then channeled
popular anxieties into political measures that eradicated civil liberties and democracy.”12 When these
measures were implemented many of the parties that once existed under the Weimar Republic were
outlawed. The government also began to either close or take control of newspapers that weren’t pro-Nazi.
When Hitler took power Germany had 4,70013 separate newspapers, the Nazis controlled 3%14 of those
papers. However, as Hitler and the Nazis tightened their grip on the once free press the number of
9
Ibid., 45
Ibid., 49-50
11
Ibid., 52
12
Ibid., 64
13
National Holocaust Museum Website
14
National Holocaust Museum Website
10
Page |4
independent papers plummeted and the Nazi’s racially charged message took over. The Nazis began to
purge the Jews and other undesirables from the press. “The Propaganda Ministry, through the Reich Press
Chamber, assumed control over the Reich Association of the German Press, the guild that regulated entry
into the profession. Under the new Editors Law of October 4, 1933, the association kept registries of
racially pure editors and journalists, thus excluding Jews and those married to Jews from the
profession.”15 The Nazis didn’t stop with the newspapers; the radio waves had to become racially pure as
well. “To make German radio the tool of the Nazis required “cleansing” the Reich Broadcasting
Company, the state agency that regulated German radio licensing and broadcasts, of noncompliant
members.”16Eventually the Reich’s Broadcasting Company was brought under the control of the
propaganda ministry with Goebbels in tight control of everything that went on the air. To facilitate the
spreading of their message, the Nazis put forth an effort to make inexpensive “people’s receivers”. So
many people bought these sets that Germany in a very short time became the second largest radio
broadcasting center in the world, only trailing the United States. With control of newspapers, newsreels
and the radio the Nazis were able to pump their propaganda everywhere in the public space. All of these
technological devices allowed the Nazis to further their goals by popularizing both fears and garnering
popular support behind Nazi initiatives.
With control of all media the Nazis had the ability to control everything German citizens read,
listened to and saw. While Hitler had been the head propagandist during the Nazis rise to power, the
Fuhrer was now concerned with many other matters. So the task of propaganda had to be assumed by
someone that not only had the same passion for propaganda that Hitler did but someone who also had a
vision. That someone was Joseph Goebbels. “On 13 March, Dr. Joseph Goebbels was appointed Minister
for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda (Reichsminister fur Volksaufklarung und Propaganda).”17
This new ministry headed by Goebbels was to lead the charge in keeping Germans, educated in the Nazi
programs and to make sure the all subversive materials were kept off the air and out of the papers. After
becoming a minister Goebbels said, “In itself propaganda does not possess any set of fundamental
methods. It has but one goal, and in politics this goal always revolves around one point” the conquest of
the masses.”18 While this was a large task already, Goebbels dreamed of far more. “Goebbels soon
15
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 68
16
Ibid., 70
17
David Welch, The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda (London: Routledge, 1993) 18
18
Robert Edwin Herzstein, The War That Hitler Won: The Most Infamous Propaganda Campaign In History (New
York: Putnam, 1978) 47
Page |5
envisioned an empire that would control schools, universities, film, radio, and propaganda.”19 This vision
came from a man who was dedicated to the Nazi cause and planned to make his mark on the scene. “Paul
Joseph Goebbels was one of the best educated of the Nazi leaders, certainly in the humanities.”20 21He
sponsored plays, the production of movies as well as other kinds of theater. Goebbels claimed that he had
four major accomplishments during World War II;
1) the creation of a base for National Socialism in the working class areas of the Rhineland… 2)
The conquest of Berlin… 3) The working out of the style and technique of the party’s public
ceremonies… 4) the creation of the Hitler myth.22
To him domination was the goal. “On 17 March, only four days after his appointment, Goebbels confided
in his diary that ‘Broadcasting is not totally in the hands of the state. We have put a stop to endlessly
swinging this was and that; we have thus ensured that there will be uniform control.”23 So important was
the propaganda ministry that “a decree on 30 June made the propaganda ministry responsible for ‘all
means whereby influence on the mind of the nation, the promotion of national, cultural and economic
issues, and the information of the public at home and abroad concerning these, can be effected, and for
administration of all establishments serving these purposes.” 24 A few months after assuming control of
the propaganda ministry Joseph Goebbels got his wish and was given control of the German mind. While
he viewed all of the aforementioned technologies as useful propaganda tools he valued one far more
highly then the rest. “For Joseph Goebbels… radio was central to the concept of an all-embracing
propaganda operation at home and abroad. In an emerging strategy of total warfare, he saw the
combination of air strikes and ‘mind-bombing’ as an irresistible strategy.”25 While Goebbels held an
incredible amount of power within the Propaganda ministry and the lives of the everyday German citizen
he was not invincible. Hitler as well as others retained some propaganda power for themselves operating
their own little propaganda offices under the umbrella of other agencies.
Before continuing with more political propaganda there are two cultural propaganda topics that
need to be fleshed out. The story begins back in the waning days of the Weimar Republic; where the
19
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 69
20
Robert Edwin Herzstein, The War That Hitler Won: The Most Infamous Propaganda Campaign In History (New
York: Putnam, 1978) 37
21
His level of education was also specifically noted in Hitler’s Airwaves
22
Robert Edwin Herzstein, The War That Hitler Won: The Most Infamous Propaganda Campaign In History (New
York: Putnam, 1978) 47
23
Bergmeier J.P., and Rainer E. Lotz Hitler’s Airwaves (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997) 4
24
Ibid., 5-6
25
Ibid., 3
Page |6
Nazis emboldened by their successes in the previous election began to rally the press against certain
elements of popular culture. The first of these topics concerns the Nazi assault and eventual
reorganization of the cinema and the second is Germany’s war with Jazz. These two topics are important
in the grand scheme of Nazi propaganda because it shows just how pervasive that propaganda was in the
lives of everyday Germans. The starkest example of this was the demonstrations against the movie All
Quiet on the Western Front. The movie had been approved for viewing by the Censorship Board in Berlin
but many nationalists viewed the film as an affront. In response to the film riots broke out, a number of
them orchestrated by Nazi leadership which led to the film being reexamined. “The appellate board under
tremendous pressure from conservative states, the army and the Foreign Office as well as daily rioting in
Berlin revoked the permission [for the movie] a week later.”26 So great was this victory that newspapers
the world over began printing stories of “the Nazis’ ability to cow German cinema. “27The disruptions
caused by the Nazis in the Weimar era provided a void which, after taking power, the Nazis would fill
with their propaganda films. Germany during this period had one of the most vibrant movie making
industries in the world and while the Nazi antics didn’t curtail all movie making efforts it certainly did
make filmmakers think twice about their subject matter. However, the Nazis did lash out against film
makers, specifically Jewish ones. “[The Nazis] did what they knew best: they attacked films that they
suspected would offend conservative and right-wing citizens. Already in early 1923 they had used
behind-the-scenes intimidation of Munich’s cinema owners to prevent a screening of Nathan the Wise,
based on Lessing’s enlightenment drama promoting toleration and understanding among Christians, Jews
and Muslims.” 28 With countless more examples in tow the Nazis attempted to purify Germany’s cinemas
through violence and intimidation. This trip back to Weimar sets up another prop in the Nazi propaganda
machine, Goebbels fascination with cinema and propaganda. When the Nazis took power Goebbels began
to reorganize the cinema and the film studios in Germany that produced and imported films. As with the
newspaper and radio boards, “the entire board of the Cinema Owners’ Association resigned thus giving
Engl and the NSDAP complete control.”29 However, the owners were not the only ones who were
regrouped around a central authority. “Throughout March and April the NSBO (Nationalsozialistische
Betriebszellen Organisation) had been active in all spheres of film production – from camera men to film
actors and composers.”30 By folding all of the film industry into the NSBO the Nazis and specifically
Goebbels had control not only over the newsreels before the entertainment but the entertainment itself.
26
Peter Jelavich, Berlin Alexanderplatz (Berkeley: University of California Press, 2006) 156
Ibid., 157
28
Ibid., 159
29
David Welch, Propaganda and the German Cinema 1993-1945 (Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1983) 10
30
Ibid., 11
27
Page |7
In an effort to follow Goebbels directive of “mind-bombing” the German Broadcasting Company
played a wide variety of music that accompanied its overseas broadcasts. Goebbels had brought this idea
to Hitler who had decided that it was an excellent way to get people, especially in England to regularly
tune into the German stations. “The German Broadcasting Company used popular music, swing and jazz
as calculated bait to attract listeners to its foreign-language propaganda broadcasts.”31 It is important to
note here the importance of the term foreign-language propaganda broadcasts as this type of music was
not approved for home service. The distinction comes with enshrined Nazi doctrine and their views on
many things in the pre-Nazi period. “Expressionism, Supermatism, Constructivism and Dadaism, as well
as ‘nigger’ music and modernist atonal composition, in short the ‘refuse of a rotting society’ were banned
and perceived source of it all, the Jews, could begin to be barred from the life of the Reich.”32 While the
music was used to lure listeners into Nazi propaganda using it on home service was unthinkable to the
leaders of the Third Reich. “Because of its black origins, and its ‘pulsating, sensual’ rhythm, jazz was
considered to be below German moral standards and aesthetically inferior to German Culture.”33 While in
some areas that type of music had already been banned, it was not a national movement until the Nazis
came into power. After the ban of Jazz music because of its inferior origins other music began to be called
into question. “Dr. Peter Raabe, former music director of the Aachen Opera and a fervent Nazi…
expanded on his minster’s decree (banning Jew Music) and declared that all foreign music published or
distributed in the country had first to be vetted by an agency of the [Reich] Chamber.”34 These examples
show how much Goebbels, his associates and the Nazis truly controlled the German culture and the
everyday lives of ordinary Germans. By cutting off art, music and outside cultures the Nazis were limiting
the German public to “racially pure” forms of entertainment, provided to them, of course, by generous
party members.
With the Nazis in control of all media, cultural and educational institutions Goebbels set out to
develop a mythos around the Fuhrer. Several myths came out of this effort and surrounded the Fuhrer and
his staff until the end of the war. The first of these myths was that of “Der Fuhrer” or the Leader.
“Although the Fuhrer cult developed in the Nazi Party during the 1920s, after they came to power the
Nazis aimed to transform Adolf Hitler from the leader of a popular political party into the leader of all
Germans.”35 This effort was extremely important to Goebbels who believed that; “The Fuhrer would lead,
31
Bergmeier J.P., and Rainer E. Lotz Hitler’s Airwaves (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997) 137
Ibid., 137
33
Ibid., 137
34
Ibid., 139
35
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 75
32
Page |8
for he embodied ‘character, will, ability and luck… the leader must be able to do everything.”36 This idea,
the idea of an all-powerful leader played into the hands of the Nazi propagandists who portrayed Hitler as
the only person who could lead the German people out of their predicament. While presenting the Fuhrer
as a genius in both politics and war the propaganda also portrayed him as a simple soldier, a common man
chosen to lead. “Wearing a simple military tunic, Hitler presented himself as the common soldier, and a
man of the people who rose to be supreme commander of the German armed forces.”37 However, the
mythos surrounding Hitler wasn’t all about making him seem like a common soldier. Much of it was
specifically directed at making him seem supernatural in one way or another. “For their concept of the
heroic leader the Nazis turned once again to volkisch thought and the notion of Fuhrerprinzip, a mystical
figure embodying and guiding the nation’s destiny.” 38 The idea had developed throughout German
history and had accompanied many Kings and Princes. It embodied the sole function that the person
charged with leading the German nation was not only to be followed but was to be followed because they
were the rightful ruler and that is the image the propagandists portrayed of Hitler.
However appealing this image was, the propagandists knew that without a country to follow the
cult of the leader meant nothing. The Nazi propagandists began working on the idea of the
Volksgemeinschaft (national community). The idea behind the Volksgemeinschaft was a simple one,
unity, stability and order. “The Nazi ideal of a cohesive community of the people drew on older German
traditions promoting social harmony over conflict and extolling middle-class ideals of hard work, clean
living, and law and order.”39 This idea draws its roots from the World War I period when the Kaiser had
declared that he recognized no parties only Germans and claimed the country was united. This is the same
ideal the Nazis wanted to follow, to unite the country under one banner and lead them into battle. “… the
Nazi propaganda machine would constantly urge the population to put the community before the
individual and to place its faith in slogans like ‘One People! One Reich! One Fuhrer!’.”40 The mythos that
the propagandists were putting out about Hitler fit the roll that the people needed him to play perfectly.
The propagandists claimed that Hitler was strong leader that ignored the squabbling of political parties
and put the health of the Volk and the nation first, just like the Kaiser had done in the first War. “Nazi
Propaganda presented him as a contemporary Volkskaiser who transcended party politics, but as a leader
who demanded unconditional loyalty and obedience in order to bring about the Volksgemeinschaft.
36
Robert Edwin Herzstein, The War That Hitler Won: The Most Infamous Propaganda Campaign In History (New
York: Putnam, 1978) 51
37
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 111
38
David Welch, The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda (London: Routledge, 1993) 82
39
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 78
40
David Welch, The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda (London: Routledge, 1993) 52
Page |9
Goebbels was going to play a central role in this new Volksgemeinschaft as he was the puppet master of
all media. As mentioned before, he wanted to be the man that educated Germans at all times with what
they needed to know and this national community provided him just that opportunity.
Propaganda was intended to be the active force cementing the national community together, and
the mass media – indeed art in general – would be used to instruct the people about the
Governments activities and why it required total support for the National Socialist State.
The Hitler myth combined with that of the Volksgemeinschaft came together to form the antithesis of
Democracy. A strong all-knowing leader who was never wrong about anything militarily or politically
plus a state where obedience was the watchword made it the perfect environment for the Nazis to operate.
Another major facet to the Nazi propaganda campaigns concerning the Volksgemeinschaft was
youth indoctrination, especially loyalty to the Fuhrer. One of the Propaganda Ministries most pressing
objectives was to influence children particularly in racial thinking. The Nuremberg Laws began to be
taught in schools and at youth camps provided the children as sense of superiority that would be carried
into the Volksgemeinschaft:
By introducing the subject of racial biology into the school curriculum, mandating the teaching of
the doctrine of the national community in this and other classes such as history, and setting the
contents of textbooks, the Ministry of Education disseminated the new regime’s messages to
youth. 41
The Nazis wanted to be the party of the Youth so they outlawed all other forms of childhood groups and
created new, similar groups all with the party slant. It was extremely important to make sure that the
youth knew that they were the ones who, after the enemies were defeated, were going to be the ones to
build the Thousand Year Reich:
One of the strongest elements in the Nazi appeal to Germans, particularly those born after 1900,
was the claim to be engaged in creating a true Volksgemeinschaft, the very existence of which
would equitably reconcile competing economic interests within Grmany while excluding
‘foreigners’ from the racially defined nation (Volk).42
The Nazis, especially Goebbels, viewed children as the future standard bearers of Nazism and that they
were critical to the progress of a ‘new racially pure’ Germany. While that may have been the message the
Nazi propagandists wanted to convey to the youth, the main message that made it through was
comradeship and a pioneering spirit. “After all, it was to be this generation that would instill the Nazi
41
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 79
42
Ibid., 78-79
P a g e | 10
Weltanschauung in their ‘national comrades’ and lay the foundation for the new world order in Europe.”43
This belief that the children were the future was not held by Goebbels alone; “As Hans Schemm, the
leader of the Nazi Teachers League put it: ‘Those who have youth on their side control the future’.”44
Hitler also felt very strongly on this subject, “When an opponent says, ‘I will not come over to your side’
I calmly say, ‘Your child belongs to us already… you will pass on. Your descendants, however, now
stand in the new camp. In a short time they will know nothing else but this new community.” 45 All of
these measures provided the Nazis with the ability to shape the future through the youth. While it may not
seem like a central part of Nazi propaganda it was and as many of the leaders just noted, one of the most
important.
One of the mainstays of the Nazi propaganda movement was public rallies. Hitler was especially
fond of large public gatherings and even had special rules that accompanied each meeting. The key for
Hitler was the psychological effect and everything in the rallies the Nazis hosted was fine tuned to exploit
it. For example, if they knew in advance that they were going to have a smaller than average turnout for
an event, the Nazis would change the venue to a smaller room so that it would still appear to be packed
even with a smaller group. Crowd dynamics were only one of the many aspects that Hitler and his Nazi
organizers thought about when putting together an event. “Hitler believed that unlike newspaper, film or
even a radio address, a speaker appearing before an audience could form a direct and personal contact
with listeners.”46 For Hitler theatrics played a large part in public speaking; Hitler believed, “that the
mass meeting, as a means of exploiting the dynamics of crowd psychology, was ‘the only way to exert a
truly effect[ive]… influence on large sections of the people.’”47 The Nazis early on in the mass
organization efforts realized that they basically had to sell the ‘Nazi Brand’ to people. The rallies they
orchestrated reflected two basic philosophies, connect with the crowd and sell the brand. These two tried
and true advertising techniques worked extremely well for the Nazis and allowed the rally to become one
of their most powerful tools when dealing in propaganda.
The Nazi Propaganda Ministry was one of the most well-oiled and finely tuned political machines
ever to come into existence. The propagandists of the Nazi party took them from the beer halls to the seat
of power in Germany and allowed the Nazis to further their messages of racial purity and German
strength. Goebbels and Hitler both played instrumental rolls in getting the propaganda machine rolling.
43
David Welch, The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda (London: Routledge, 1993) 63
Ibid., 63
45
Ibid., 63
46
Susan Bachrach, State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda, ed. Edward Phillips (Washington D.C.:
Holocaust Memorial Museum, 2011) 32
47
Ibid., 32
44
P a g e | 11
The two men had a singular vision in terms of using propaganda to further the causes they felt were just.
While decentralized and fraught with infighting, the Ministry of Propaganda sought to invade every
sphere of public and private life in Nazi Germany. The technologies of the day, from newspapers to
airplanes were used expertly by the Nazis to not only convey their beliefs but also to spread their message
across Germany. All of these components tied together to form an incredibly complex web of truth, lies,
social engineering, ideology and doctrine formed around Hitler, Goebbels and many others that made up
the propaganda army of the Nazi Party. In 1932 Hitler was recorded as saying,
Artillery preparation before an attack, as during the World War, will be replaced in a future war
by the psychological dislocation of the enemy through revolutionary propaganda. The enemy
must be demoralized and driven to passivity. Our strategy is to destroy the enemy from within, to
conquer him through himself. Metal confusion, contradictory feelings, indecision, panic – these
are our weapons.48
This quotation truly shows just how dedicated Hitler was to the art of propaganda and how highly he
placed it.
48
Bergmeier J.P., and Rainer E. Lotz Hitler’s Airwaves (New Haven: Yale University Press, 1997) 3