Adolf Hitler's Propaganda

‘‘Propaganda’, Adolf Hitler wrote in Mein Kampf in 1924, ‘is a truly terrible weapon in the hands of an expert.’’ (“State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda”). It can be used in a deceptive way to convince a large population of false truths and lies, leading them to follow their leaders while being unaware of what they are supporting. Adolf Hitler and the fascist Nazi Party’s propaganda was strongly effective by creating a strong sense of nationalism, influencing Fascist youth, and fabricating an anti-Semitic culture.
In the 1930s, Germany was suffering from an economic depression as a result of the consequences of World War I and the Treaty of Versailles. Economically, the country was struggling with a high unemployment rate and the
The Encyclopedia of the Holocaust states, “Nazi propaganda superimposed its racist ideology on traditional anti-Semitism by asserting that the Jew was the enemy of the German people.” (“Propaganda, Nazi”). The Nazis used visual propaganda to evoke the emotions of their targeted audience, by convincing the German population to join in their efforts of antagonizing the Jews. According to The Encyclopedia of the Holocaust, “In the fall of 1938, the Propaganda Ministry sent a request to German film companies to begin the production of explicitly antisemitic films.” (“Films, Antisemitic”). The Ministry for Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda made it nearly impossible to ignore the anti-Semitic views the Nazis portrayed throughout the media. In addition to targeting Jews in the media, the Nazis promised a more profitable economy throughout their reign. Roger B. Nelson writes, “The Nazis embarked on a massive rearmament program that created many jobs, thereby addressing the unemployment problem and securing the support of the working classes.”(Nelson). The Nazis promised future German prosperity and provided the country with more economic stability following the Great Depression. Hitler successfully used propaganda and the media to help unify the German
According to The Encyclopedia of the Age of War and Reconstruction, “During World War II, the line between popular culture and propaganda became indistinguishable.” (“Poster of the German film Jud Süss…”). Fascist ideas were prevalent not only in political and military institutions, but also in schools, youth organizations, and even common fashion. Jeannette Catsoulis tells us, “One of the cornerstones of Hitler’s plan for world domination was a network of elite schools to groom young Germans for positions of power both at home and abroad. The National-Political Institutes of Learning were a major component of this network, using ruthless military techniques to encourage loyalty to the Reich and conformity with Nazi ideology.” (Catsoulis). Teaching the children from a very young age that anti-Semitism and fascist beliefs were correct would lead them to believe this for the rest of their lives. The Nazis were able to gain much of their support through the youth population, and kids were taught certain ideologies about eugenics and the “ideal” Aryan race. The Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood states, “Because leaders encouraged members to put youth group duties above all other responsibilities, many youth joined in order to undermine the traditional authority of parents, school, or church. This