Transcript Nazi Propaganda - matthewmclean

Nazi Propaganda
Two Purposes
• To create a positive image of Hitler
and the Nazi Party (saviors of
Germany’s troubles; future)
• To create a negative view of those
considered to be enemies,
particularly Jews
Hitler’s Propaganda Methods
• Present simple themes in a
repetitive manner
• Appeal to emotion rather than
intellect
• Have broad appeal to the masses
• Focus mainly on one enemy - Claim
that this enemy is at the root of all
problems
Propaganda: Pervasive in Nazi Germany
• Images – Posters, Book and Newspaper
Illustrations
• Spoken Word – Nazi Speeches and Radio
broadcasts; Songs and slogans
• Printed Word – “Der Sturmer” ; Academic
publications; School curricula
• Dramatic - cinema (i.e. Triumph of the Will;
The Eternal Jew; Jud Suss); Party Rallies
Hitler as the Heroic Leader
Hitler Youth
Propaganda
“He alone who owns the youth, gains the Future!”
Today’s Boys and Girls are
Tomorrow’s Soldiers …
- 1930s: Adolf Hitler trained and turned the youth in
Germany into “good Nazis”
- Children marched through the street and terrorized
townspeople
- Learned how to fight and advocated for Hitler
- “Tattle tales”: Turned their backs on those who did not
uphold Nazi agenda (even their own parents!)
- Hitler knew the minds of
children could be shaped
like clay.
"If an adult says 'I will not
come over to your
side' I will calmly answer
'your child belongs to us
already.' What are you?
You will pass on!"
- The “Big Father”
- He took over their
upbringing, education and
leisure time
- He warned parents that
interference or failure to
cooperate would
result in imprisonment or
having their children sent to
other Nazi homes to be
reared.
- He wrecked the German
school system
- He cared nothing about
reading, writing or arithmetic
“I do not want an intellectual
education. I want young people
who will grow up to frighten the
world... arrogant,
violent, unafraid, cruel youth
who must be able to suffer pain.
Nothing tender and weak must
be left in them."
- Schools were turned into Nazi
training centres; all courses were
“Nazi-fied”
- Jewish teachers and professors
were fired
- Some students were so
brainwashed that they turned on
their anti-Nazi parents
Brainwashing…..
A Typical School Scene in Nazi Germany
- At the front of the class, a
picture of Hitler.
- Salute the picture at least
10 times a day
- Lunch: Prayer to the
“Fueher” thanking him
for the food
- Teachers had to swear to
make students into Nazis
(under oath).
“MEIN KAMPF”
Youth Groups
Hitler Youth – boys 6 – 18
- After 1936, all boys had to be a part of
the organization.
- They attended military camps trained to
be soldiers, studied the Nazi philosophy
and swore an oath to Hitler.
- "Blood and Honour" upon graduation
and a diploma from the Hitler youth
League of German Maidens - girls
10-18
- They wore uniforms, went backpacking on
long marches and learned survival
techniques.
-“Proper Nazi mothers”
“It is your duty to bear children for the
fatherlands! The Fueher wills it! Marriage
is unimportant'“
- As a result many young teenagers became
mothers
Power and Pageantry
Goals of Anti-Jewish Propaganda
• To connect Jews to every problem facing
Germany and every other group seen as
opponents
• To reinforce traditional negative stereotypes
about Jews
• To create a climate of contempt toward Jews
• To dehumanize the image of Jews (to
facilitate discrimination, segregation, exile,
and murder)
The Jew as
Communist
From the cover of
the book
The Eternal Jew
The Jew as Capitalist Exploiter
“The God of the Jews
is Money. And to gain
money, he will commit
the greatest crimes.
He will not rest
until he can sit on the
largest sack of money,
until he becomes the
King of Money.”
Nazi
propaganda
poster
blaming
Jews for the
war
All Enemies are Jews!
Note the similarity between the portrayal of Churchill (who
was not Jewish) and the antisemitic stereotype.
Jews depicted as
controlling the Allies
Jews plotting to
rule the world
The Protocols of the
Elders of Zion
(Front cover of a French
edition)
The “Blood Libel”
The Jew as demonic
From an
advertising
poster for a
movie
The Poison
Mushroom
A
Children's
Book
Der Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom)
excerpt
A devil goes through the land,
It's the Jew, well-known to us
as a murderer of peoples,
a race defiler, a child's horror in all
lands!
Corrupting our youth
stands him in good stead.
He wants all peoples dead.
Stay away from every Jew,
and happiness will come to you!
“Jews Get Out!”: A Children’s Game
Dehumanizing
Images:
Jews portrayed
as vermin
Lessons for Today
• Learn to recognize and interpret propaganda
and to distinguish it from legitimate
attempts to inform.
• Recognize distortions embedded in public
communication (i.e. - stereotypes, misuse of
statistics, over-generalization, guilt by
association, etc..)
• Recognize that images and words are
important because they create the social
climate – which will tend either toward
respect or contempt.