Hitler Propaganda

To what extent did propaganda help Hitler consolidate and achieve full control in Germany between 1933 and 1939?


Fermin Torres Zavaleta




Number of Words: 1638
To continue with the policy of Gleichschaltung (co-ordination), the Nazis tried to control the media and all cultural activities. The Propaganda Minister under Goebbels supervised this control of media byregulating newspapers, films, and prosecuting opponents. The more modern technology and improvements in microphones, radio, loudspeakers, and film enabled the politicians to get closer to the masses that voted.
The creation of the Reichministeruim für Volksaufklärung und Propaganda or Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (RMVP) to control every aspect of the media employed 14.000 peopleand became vital for the Nazis. A Culture Chamber was created in 1933 where people involved in cultural activities had to be a member. This chamber had the authority to close newspapers or expel members of them. The Nazis also created their own propaganda organisation, the Central Propaganda Office of the Nazi party. [1]


Press:


There was compulsory membership of the differentbodies to control the authorized publishers. Reich Press Chamber controlled editors and journalists. In 1935 editors were declared guilty for any infringement in their papers. To spread false news and rumours was considered treason.


Radio:


The Reich Radio Company had been created inn 1925 and it was the radio station used by the Nazis. I April 1934, the radio was unifiedunder than Nazis and cleaned out the “hostile elements” .It became a powerful tool for indoctrination because of the technological advance and the mass production of radios which made that by 1939 70% of the households owned one. The audience in 1933 had already reached 56 million people. The speeches were announced by alarms and people would leave their jobs to listen Hitler. [2]


Film:Although, there were Propaganda films, the main aim of the industry at that time was to entretain. During the 1930 there was a great growth in film production. Te Nazis let the big film companies to remain private so that they could continue exporting movies. However the RMVP raised taxes to production so companies became indirectly state owned.
The Reich Film Camber regulated thecontent of both national an imported films. Many foreign films were banned because the spread ideas against the regime (communist, gypsy or because the characters did not fit the Nazi stereotypes). Goebbels himself was in charge of approving every German movie. Films were classified as “politically and artistically valuable” or “culturally valuable” or “valuable for the youth”.
Somepropagandist movies were produced during the regime. Leni Riefenstahl[3] was in charge of documenting the rallies and festivals in order to produce movies tat would encourage involvement in the Nazi party. Te most famous Films are Triumph of the Will (1935) and Olympia (which recorded the Olympic games of 1936). [4]




Photographs:


Hitler also made use of his image in photographsthat were widely reproduced on postcards or cigarette packages. He hired an official Photographer, Heinrich Hoffmann that carefully stage managed his expressions and poses. [5]
Other forms of propaganda:


Meetings and rallies:


It was one of the most effective ways of gaining support. Nazis believed that commitment and involvement of their members would increases whenparticipating of these manifestations. They also attracted bystanders and non-participants would be willing to join. Goebbels said that rallies transformed people “from a little worm into part of a large Dragon”. Both Josef Goebbels and Albert Speer took an important role in organizing these demonstrations of political power. They were carefully organized and cerographical. The combination of...