Examples Of Mein Kampf Propaganda
“Propaganda | noun | pro·pa·gan·da : ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause” . In any situation where there are opposing viewpoints, the spread of persuading information, accurate or not, will become prevalent. The world’s history is riddled with confrontations between political, economic, geographic, and religious parties. Within these altercations, the pursuit for glory by recruiting a large following who strongly believe in the cause is a common factor. By the 1930s, print, radio, and the beginning of television broadcasting allowed the old practice of propaganda to become increasingly widespread and dangerously effective.
One of the most infamous works of propaganda to come out of WWII is “Mein Kampf” written by Adolf Hitler during his imprisonment in 1923. The roots of the book describe what Hitler sees as the disappointments of Germany during WWI as a result of the Weimer Republic and how the collapse was a betrayal that should result in retaliation. The book became known as the …show more content…
National Socialist Bible. From separating people by physical descriptions to putting the blame of the downfall of Germany on the shoulders of the Jewish, “Mein Kampf” made its mark increasing the following of the anti-Semitic movement.
Following the victory of Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, Joseph Goebbels was named as the minister for public enlightenment and propaganda. The organization used its power to spread the attitude of negativity towards the Jewish while simultaneously promoting the new Nazi regime. One of the first actions taken was the burning of “un-German” books. By 1935, the actions became much more drastic. The creation of the Nuremberg Laws declared that relations between Germans and Jews was forbade and only those of German blood were citizens of the state. One of the major source of propaganda was Wehrmachtbericht (Armed forces report). Wehrmacht Propaganda Troops compiled combat reports for the Propaganda Department of the OKW to use as sources for the radio broadcasts. The reports simultaneously exaggerated the German’s success while ridiculing the Allies. This helped to keep German citizens’ attitudes high and willingly to fight for the cause.
In 1940, a film called “The Eternal Jew” was produced to show to the people of Germany the “truth” of the Jewish. It set out to portray the Jewish as parasites of society even, comparing them to rats. Film in the ghettos, the film was said to be real and unedited, however the Jewish were coerced during the making. The film concludes with Hitler saying, "If international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, the result will not be Bolshevization of the earth and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!". The image used as the cover of the film depicts a stereotypical Jew, using an angry expression and exaggerated features, to further insult the Jewish population and distinguish them as lesser.
These examples of propaganda aided Germany’s war effort by providing an easy message for the citizens to understand.
It created the common enemy of the Jewish and illustrated how they were to blame. By creating this mindset, Hitler was able to rally the masses behind him to fight for the views he had presented. The radio broadcasts, showing the German victory against the “useless” allies, urged others to join in on the fight since it seemed to be an easy win for them at that point. By causing the hate of the Jewish to fester and build, when acts such as deportation and the use of concentration camps become prevalent, there were a large group of citizens who either didn’t bat an eye at the events or whole-heartedly supported the actions. Continuing the push for more space that the Aryans can utilize and live in, it only made sense to remove a population that was the root of the problems according to the Nazi
regime.
“Blood and Honour”, the motto of the Hitler Youth was engraved in the dagger given to a member once the required tests were completed. By using the youth of the nation, Hitler ensured a large military force available and loyal. With the use of board games and biased readings in the classrooms, the children were brainwashed with the love of Hitler and hatred for the “bastard races”. Becoming mandatory in 1936, the organization used recreational sports and other activities to promote values to support the Aryan cause. Any people that were not part of the perfect race should be destroyed. These children were supported by their parents to be involved in organization since it was made out to be an effective tool for molding model young men with good morals and disciplines. Consequently, some children turned against their own parents how were not in support of the Nazi regime.
The blue eyed, blond haired boy served as an example of what a member of the Hitler Youth could be. Looking healthy, and the epitome of the Aryan race, of course a young boy who were to see this poster would want to become like him.
While the United States did not join the war officially until 1941, they had their own mass of propaganda. The United States Office of War Information, created in 1942, was one of the major outlets of propaganda in WWII. The use of colorful posters became increasing popular. In the example to the left, the poster pulls on the hearts of the citizens by causing them to want revenge for the malicious attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Alongside the posters, comic books, radio, and film were used. “Why We Fight” was made up of seven one-hour long documentaries focus on specific conflicts such as the rise of Nazism and the fall of Britain. By making a clear line between what they thought were the “good” and the “bad”, these films further convinced citizens of The United States that it was necessary to be fighting in this war.
The propaganda was not only present in the homeland, it was spread across the sea. Using B-17 bombers, leaflets were strewn across Germany. Made available for the use during surrender, these leaflets had a powerful impact. They demonstrated the strength in which the States was capable of. By having an entire fleet of planes designated to only distributing leaflets, the air force’s size, power, and reach became amplified.
Another form of propaganda was using the religions of US citizens. This poster shows a boot with a swastika stomping on a church. Just how the Nazis were destroying the Jewish religion, if they were able to continue fighting what would stop them from attacking other religions?
All forms of propaganda invoke emotions in those who view them. Whether it be fear, compassion, loyalty, or the sense of pride and duty, all cause strong responses and motivate a cause. Subsequently, the citizens feel the urge to fight and defend their way of life from being impeded. It is a driving force to keep the battles heated and raise patriotism. During a time of war, it was crucial for a government to have a mass of people following and believing in the cause. Both Germany and American were successful in their implementation of propaganda throughout World War Two. In Germany, a before unseen magnitude of hatred towards a specific group was created to the extent of genocide. In America, women, children, and men wanted to all help the cause by whatever means possible. Without the lies and false promising presented by propaganda, the impact of a cause would unfortunately be diminished. The use of words and images will remain one of the most powerful weapons in any nation’s arsenal.
One of the most infamous works of propaganda to come out of WWII is “Mein Kampf” written by Adolf Hitler during his imprisonment in 1923. The roots of the book describe what Hitler sees as the disappointments of Germany during WWI as a result of the Weimer Republic and how the collapse was a betrayal that should result in retaliation. The book became known as the …show more content…
National Socialist Bible. From separating people by physical descriptions to putting the blame of the downfall of Germany on the shoulders of the Jewish, “Mein Kampf” made its mark increasing the following of the anti-Semitic movement.
Following the victory of Hitler as Chancellor of Germany, Joseph Goebbels was named as the minister for public enlightenment and propaganda. The organization used its power to spread the attitude of negativity towards the Jewish while simultaneously promoting the new Nazi regime. One of the first actions taken was the burning of “un-German” books. By 1935, the actions became much more drastic. The creation of the Nuremberg Laws declared that relations between Germans and Jews was forbade and only those of German blood were citizens of the state. One of the major source of propaganda was Wehrmachtbericht (Armed forces report). Wehrmacht Propaganda Troops compiled combat reports for the Propaganda Department of the OKW to use as sources for the radio broadcasts. The reports simultaneously exaggerated the German’s success while ridiculing the Allies. This helped to keep German citizens’ attitudes high and willingly to fight for the cause.
In 1940, a film called “The Eternal Jew” was produced to show to the people of Germany the “truth” of the Jewish. It set out to portray the Jewish as parasites of society even, comparing them to rats. Film in the ghettos, the film was said to be real and unedited, however the Jewish were coerced during the making. The film concludes with Hitler saying, "If international Jewish financiers in and outside Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, the result will not be Bolshevization of the earth and thus the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!". The image used as the cover of the film depicts a stereotypical Jew, using an angry expression and exaggerated features, to further insult the Jewish population and distinguish them as lesser.
These examples of propaganda aided Germany’s war effort by providing an easy message for the citizens to understand.
It created the common enemy of the Jewish and illustrated how they were to blame. By creating this mindset, Hitler was able to rally the masses behind him to fight for the views he had presented. The radio broadcasts, showing the German victory against the “useless” allies, urged others to join in on the fight since it seemed to be an easy win for them at that point. By causing the hate of the Jewish to fester and build, when acts such as deportation and the use of concentration camps become prevalent, there were a large group of citizens who either didn’t bat an eye at the events or whole-heartedly supported the actions. Continuing the push for more space that the Aryans can utilize and live in, it only made sense to remove a population that was the root of the problems according to the Nazi
regime.
“Blood and Honour”, the motto of the Hitler Youth was engraved in the dagger given to a member once the required tests were completed. By using the youth of the nation, Hitler ensured a large military force available and loyal. With the use of board games and biased readings in the classrooms, the children were brainwashed with the love of Hitler and hatred for the “bastard races”. Becoming mandatory in 1936, the organization used recreational sports and other activities to promote values to support the Aryan cause. Any people that were not part of the perfect race should be destroyed. These children were supported by their parents to be involved in organization since it was made out to be an effective tool for molding model young men with good morals and disciplines. Consequently, some children turned against their own parents how were not in support of the Nazi regime.
The blue eyed, blond haired boy served as an example of what a member of the Hitler Youth could be. Looking healthy, and the epitome of the Aryan race, of course a young boy who were to see this poster would want to become like him.
While the United States did not join the war officially until 1941, they had their own mass of propaganda. The United States Office of War Information, created in 1942, was one of the major outlets of propaganda in WWII. The use of colorful posters became increasing popular. In the example to the left, the poster pulls on the hearts of the citizens by causing them to want revenge for the malicious attack on Pearl Harbor by the Japanese. Alongside the posters, comic books, radio, and film were used. “Why We Fight” was made up of seven one-hour long documentaries focus on specific conflicts such as the rise of Nazism and the fall of Britain. By making a clear line between what they thought were the “good” and the “bad”, these films further convinced citizens of The United States that it was necessary to be fighting in this war.
The propaganda was not only present in the homeland, it was spread across the sea. Using B-17 bombers, leaflets were strewn across Germany. Made available for the use during surrender, these leaflets had a powerful impact. They demonstrated the strength in which the States was capable of. By having an entire fleet of planes designated to only distributing leaflets, the air force’s size, power, and reach became amplified.
Another form of propaganda was using the religions of US citizens. This poster shows a boot with a swastika stomping on a church. Just how the Nazis were destroying the Jewish religion, if they were able to continue fighting what would stop them from attacking other religions?
All forms of propaganda invoke emotions in those who view them. Whether it be fear, compassion, loyalty, or the sense of pride and duty, all cause strong responses and motivate a cause. Subsequently, the citizens feel the urge to fight and defend their way of life from being impeded. It is a driving force to keep the battles heated and raise patriotism. During a time of war, it was crucial for a government to have a mass of people following and believing in the cause. Both Germany and American were successful in their implementation of propaganda throughout World War Two. In Germany, a before unseen magnitude of hatred towards a specific group was created to the extent of genocide. In America, women, children, and men wanted to all help the cause by whatever means possible. Without the lies and false promising presented by propaganda, the impact of a cause would unfortunately be diminished. The use of words and images will remain one of the most powerful weapons in any nation’s arsenal.