Nazi Propaganda Essay -- World War II WWII

Nazi Propaganda "Propaganda attempts to force a doctrine on the whole people... Propaganda works on the general public from the standpoint of an idea and makes them ripe for the victory of this idea." These words of Adolf Hitler are taken from his book Mien Kampf (My Struggle) published in 1926. Propaganda was an elaborate and essential tool used extensively by Hitler and the Nazi's during their terrorizing reign of Germany and throughout Europe. Not only was it used to promote and endorse the party and its leader's extreme anti-Semitic values, but also to mask the horrifying truths of what was to become known as the Holocaust. Anti-Jewish measures and programs have taken place numerous times throughout history, but never to the extent and successfulness attained by the Third Reich. A clear reason for this level of success can be attributed significantly to the abundant amounts of misinformation released by the Nazis prior to and during World War II. The degree of importance these public-swaying devices were to Hitler became particularly evident when he created the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, announcing a man by the name of Joseph Goebbels as the head. This was a section of his fascist regime devoted solely to spreading lies. The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's websites describes, "The Ministry's aim was to ensure that the Nazi's message was successfully communicated through art, music, theater, films, books, radio, education and press." The measures that were taken to spread these hateful ideas and values are quite astonishing. Anti-Jewish books were even brought into classrooms, one famously called "Der Gifpiltz" meaning "The Poisonous Mushroom." The book contained differe... ...nd heartbreaking. While, fortunately their complete goal was never reached, it is alarming and shocking how successful and influential these campaigns were. Hitler's fervent hate of the Jews and passion for power mixed with intelligence and great oratory skills illustrates the power of persuasion and authority of propaganda in modern societies. Ultimately, the massive use of videotaped lies and printed fabrication non-directly aided in killing an estimated 6 million Jewish persons during World War II. Works Cited Giesen, Rolf. Nazi Propoganda Films: A History and Filmography. McFarland and Company, 2003. Hiemer, Ernst. The Poisonous Mushroom. Der Stà ¼rmer-Nurnberg, 1938. Powell, Lawrence N. Troubled Memory: Anne Levy, the Holocaust and David Duke's Louisiana. The University of North Carolina Press, 2000. www.holocaust-history.org www.ushmm.org