German Support of Nazi Rule

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“Looking back over the period of Nazi rule, this much can be said with a measure of certainty: German society as a whole did not oppose the regime’s anti-Jewish initiatives.” It is hard to believe that a whole society for the most part could be influenced by one man and his rule. Hitler was a very charismatic man who influenced thousands of Germans against their fellow German-Jews. Many were friends, neighbors, some could have even been family by marriage. The anti-semitism took over the society suddenly, laws were created against the Jews. Soon enough the anti-semitism spread throughout Europe.

One may ask the question “How can one man turn a whole nation against their own people?” Hitler used propaganda to influence the German society. Propaganda refers to the attempt to influence behavior by affecting the mass media with the way the images are perceived by it's audience (Cmarada 21). Propaganda is a tool that has been used by many different cultures for many years. Propaganda played a tremendous role in Nazi Germany (Cmarada 21). Hitler used it to rise to power during the 1920s and 30s. The Third Reich would not have had much success without the use of propaganda. It played an essential function in the party's rule. The propaganda that was used infected every aspect of life, it was all around. Every where one looked they were bombarded by Nazi propaganda. It was in the newspapers, on the radio, in the theaters, and even in most schools. The propaganda put out by the Third Reich helped Hitler gain support from the masses to begin his reign of terror throughout Germany and eventually other nations (Cmarada 21). Hitler mentions in his book, Mein Kampf that “The art of propaganda lies in understanding the emotional ideas of the ...

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...gnorance, Hitler was able to influence the children with this claim. Hitler was able to use their ignorance in his blaming of the Jews for many of Germany's social problems. Jewish families were often herded to Auschwitz. Jews and their families were made to take the blame for any problems that Germany faced, and therefore they suffered under great persecutions by Hitler. These frequent public persecutions of "troublemakers", therefore helped Hitler to control his youth.

Works Cited

Cmarada, Jake. "The Nazification of German Society." Ithaca College, Ithaca, NY. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .

"Hitler Youth." Historic Clothing: Expanded Site. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .

How Did Hitler Control His Youth. Web. 12 Apr. 2011. .

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