Adolf Hitler and Propaganda Hitler

Adolf Hitler and Propaganda Hitler and propaganda How Adolf Hitler used propaganda to influence Germany during WW11 A common definition of the term propaganda refers to "…information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation…"(Propaganda) Allied with this is the view that it is the one-sided promotion of a particular doctrine or set of principles that are propagated by an organization or movement.

(Propaganda) in essence propaganda is a form of persuasion in which various techniques are used to convince people that one set of views are more correct than others and therefore should be adhered to. The technique of propaganda was a central facet of the rise to power of Hitler and the successes of the German Nazi and Nationalist Socialist movement, which was to result in the Second World War and the deaths of millions of people.

A question that has been asked is why the German people chose Hitler as their leader and how the Nazi Party could have come to power in the country. In other words, why did Hitler exert such as power and control over the German people? There are many complex reasons for this, including the social and economic aftermath of the First World War and its effect on the German people.

However, the successful and pervasive use of propaganda was central to the rise of Hitler and the Nazi Party and this was sustained by further propaganda and the machinations of Hitler's chief propagandist, Dr. Joseph Goebbels. Goebbels ironically held the official title, Minister of Propaganda and National Enlightenment.

This title sums up to a certain extent the role of propaganda in Germany prior to and during the Second World War, where the one-sided and self-serving views of Nazi socialists were perceived by the German people as a form of 'enlightenment' or truth. (Propaganda in Nazi Germany) 2. Hitler and propaganda In order to understand the importance of the use of propaganda by Hitler during the Second World War we first have to understand why he perceived it to be so important.

From the very beginning of his rise to power Hitler was aware of the influence that propaganda could exert over the masses and the people of Germany. In his study, Hitler: a Study in Tyranny, Alan Bullock states that Hitler was convinced of the critical importance of the power of the masses, as well as mass gatherings and mass propaganda. He based his propaganda on an appeal to the 'mass psyche' of the German people and the propensity for power and control that he discerned in the ordinary people.

He wrote that," the psyche of the broad masses is accessible only to what is strong and uncompromising ." (Bullock 44) It must also be remembered that the German people were suffering both politically and economically as a result of the war reparations that had been imposed after the First World War. The defeat of the German people had affected their sense of national pride and this was exacerbated by the economic hardship that was imposed by the Treaty of Versailles and the worldwide stock market crash.

These factors created fertile ground for the Nazi propaganda and the illusion of national success and glory that Hitler was to inculcate in his propaganda. ( National Socialist Germany) He played on the needs and desire of the German people in order to gain power and implement his will. Hitler therefore conveyed a sense of uncompromising will and power in his speeches.

In order to convince the German people to follow him he created a cast of national enemies and evil opponents that he used as an integral part of his propaganda campaign. For example, the Jews and the communists were depicted as objects of extreme hatred and loathing. Hitler also played on the inner fears of the people and conveyed the massage that the Nazi Party was the only way for the German people to avoid national annihilation from both these enemies.

This is a common method used by propagandists, where they persuade people to act or think in a certain way on the basis of fear of certain groups who have been described as a threat. Hitler was also politically astute. He understood that "power lay with the masses." (Bullock 55) Therefore, if he was to obtain the allegiance of the people he would have to do so through the subtle use of propaganda.

"The Key, Hitler became convinced, lay in propaganda." (Bullock 55) He therefore devoted a great deal of thought and time into developing his understanding of propaganda. This can be seen in his book Mein Kampf, where an entire chapter is devoted to war propaganda. He also played on a number of themes to advance his aims. One of these was the illusion that he was a man of the people. This served to convince the general public that he had the same experiences, desires and goals as they had.

As Bullock and others point out, he had in reality very little concern or fellow-feeling for the ordinary German citizen (Bullock 69/70). He also played expertly on the defeat and disgrace of Germany after the First World War. In short, he developed a mastery of propaganda techniques to further his aims. As Bullock states, "Hitler's genius as a politician lay in his unequalled grasp of what could be done by propaganda…" ( Bullock 68) As noted, one of the most effective propaganda techniques was the use of fear and the creation of enemies.

The Jews were a natural scapegoat for Hitler's intentions. There is a long history of distrust and persecution of the Jews in Europe and Hitler used this underlying resentment to instigate race hatred that furthered his aims. He used stereotypes in his propaganda. He exploited the image of the lazy, overweight and greedy Jew and contrasted him with the ideal healthy and industrious "Aryan" German, as can be seen in the following illustration.

(Source: http://www.nizkor.org/hweb/people/m/mills-mary/images/German-Jew.gif) The above illustration is in fact from a German school book at the time. Education was another avenue that Hitler used for propaganda purposes. By making Jewish stereotypes part of the formal learning syllabus, education became a way of instilling false perceptions into the minds of the young, which further strengthened his grip on the soul and the feelings of.