. 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...

As one commentator notes;
From physical differences, it is an easy jump to more important differences.

(Propaganda in Nazi Germany)

There were also many other propaganda techniques used. One of these was the use of popular film. The Nazis were in complete control of the society, including the film industry. These films were produced with propagandist and distorted content in order to influence the people; for example, films depicted the rest of Europe as living in poor and barbaric conditions compared to Germany. Films were also released that emphasized the grandeur and greatness of the German Third Reich.

3. Conclusion

There is no doubt that the propaganda used by the Nazis was a decisive tool in Hitler's rise to power and in the continued obedience of the German people. While from a historical distance it may be difficult to understand how the German people could have accepted and obeyed a monstrous dictator like Hitler, yet a number of aspects should be borne in mind if we consider the reality of the time. As discussed, the time of Hitler's rise to power was one in which the German people were particularly vulnerable to suggestion and propaganda. Hitler was also a master of propaganda and illusion and he succeeded in creating a popular identify for himself and his Nazi Party which used stereotypes and other propaganda tools to ensnare the German people in a well-constructed illusion that was to be their downfall.

Works Cited

Bullock a. Hitler: A Study in Tyranny. London: Penguin.1952.

National Socialist Germany. October 7, 2009.

Propaganda. October 7, 2009.

Propaganda in Nazi Germany. October 7, 2009.