AndreFonseca

Mr.Priolo
IntroductiontoHolocaustStudies
02June2014

NaziPropaganda
Systematicpromotionofcertainideasandpracticesinordertofurtherone'scauseis
knownaspropaganda.TheNaziswereamongthemostsophisticatedandinnovativeusersof
propagandainhistory.NazisusedpropagandainordertogettheirmessageacrossabouttheJews
andtogainsupportoftheGermanpeople.BeforetheyrosetonationalpowerinGermany,they
usedpropagandatoattracttheattentionofthepublicandgainsupportamongtheGerman
people.
AftertheNazisseizedpowerin1933,hitlerestablishedtheReichMinistryofPublic
EnlightenmentandPropaganda,withJosephGobbelsincharge.Thisministrywasinchargeof
reinforcingtheNazimessagethroughtheater,music,movies,press,etc.filmsinparticular
playedanimportantpartindiscriminatingagainsttheJews.NazismoviesportrayedJewsasan
inferiorraceandthatAryanswerethesuperiorrace.Movies,suchasTheEternalJew,
portrayedJewsasculturalparasites,consumedbysexandmoney.Andthereweremanymore
likethisone,aswellasmoviesthatglorifiedAdolfHitlerandtheNaziParty.Someeven
glorifiedtheGermanpeople,sothattheywouldbelievethatGermanwasthemasterrace,andit
wastheirdutytoconquerallinferior.
NewspaperswerealsoamajorpartofNazipropaganda.ThePropagandaMinistry,ranby
JosephGoebbels,seizedcontrolofthemedia.Newspapersnowprintedcartoonsthatused

antisemiticcaricaturestoportrayjews.Notonlycartoonswereused,butalsoarticlesthattold
thetruthaboutjewsandhowtheywereadangertotheGermanReich.Everythingthatwasnot
aboutNazipropagandawasremovedfromthenewspapersandreplacedbyNaziwritersand
critics.Again,newspaperarticlesalsopushedthenotionthatGermanwasthemasterrace.
NaziPropagandawasverysuccessfulinportrayingGermansasthesuperiorraceand
makingHitlerseemliketheGermanpeoplessavior.Notonlyweretheposters,movies,
newspapers,etc.effectivetools,butthespeechesHitlergavewerecarefullyorchestrated,starting
offverycalmandworkhiswayintoafrenzy.AlsothetimingofHitlerandhisNaziPArtywas
eversoperfect.Germanywasinshambles,theeconomywasterrible,Germanywasprobablythe
worstplacetoliveafterWW1inwhichGermanywastheblamefor.soHitlerandhisNaziParty
rising,promisedabetterfuture,adominantfuture.HesaidthatGermanywouldonceagainbea
worldpower,andsoonenough,thestrongestnation.
TheNazispreciselyusedpropagandatogaintheGermanpeoplessupporttheirplanto
bringGermanytothetop.OnceHitlercametopower,everythingbecamenazified.Themedia
becameunderthecontrolofJosephGoebbels,andhisjobwastospreadNazism.Movies,radio,
theater,art,music,etc.allhadNazipropagandainit.Evenschooltextbooksandandwhatthey
learnedinschoolhadchangedtoHitlerbeingtheirleaderandNazibeliefs.Withouttheamount
anddepthofpropaganda,theNazipartymaynothavecametopower,buteverythingunravelled
asHitlerplanned.

http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ks3/thenazirisetopower/howdidnazisgainpower/pro
pagandaandpromises/#.U4vmyfldV5Y
http://www.theholocaustexplained.org/ks4/thenazificationofgermany/impactofthenazistate/
howdidthenazisusepropaganda/#.U4vmxvldV5Y

http://www.ushmm.org/wlc/en/article.php?ModuleId=10005202
http://www.yadvashem.org/odot_pdf/Microsoft%20Word%20%205752.pdf