Images Of Control Propaganda

One of the greatest revolutions in the twentieth century was not political in nature. It however aided in many different political revolutions. This revolution was the communications revolution. The twentieth century has experienced one of the greatest changes in mean of communication including technologies such as radio, television, motion pictures, advanced telecommunications and the Internet. These technologies have been used to fulfill the purposes of many. Some who wished to use this technology to influence other people. A term commonly used to describe the use of media to convince or persuade other people of a certain idea or cause is propaganda. Political leaders often use techniques of propaganda, as the goal of politicians is to convince people that their ideas supercede those of others. Two examples of propaganda being used extensively during the twentieth century is by the National Socialist German Workers Party (Nazi) in Germany from 1933 – 1945 and by the Communist government led by Josef Stalin in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics from 1929 – 1953. In examining these two states and their use of propaganda, it can be seen that although both state had radically different ideologies, certain trends in their use of propaganda can be found to be in common. These primarily being: the glorification of individuals or groups as heroes, the glorification of the leader of the state, and the dehumanizing of the state’s enemies.

After Adolf Hitler was proclaimed Chancellor of Germany in 1933 he started to establish a Nazi government. It became immediately apparent that the new government would have to get the people’s unquestioned support. Although the Nazi party had been relatively popular before Hitler became Chancellor, there was still opposition to be found in some people. One tactic that was used by the Nazi propagandists was to use a hero to symbolize all that could be accomplished under the new National Socialist government. A hero is also useful to rally the people behind something that they can relate to and have sympathy for. The obvious example of this is the Nazi glorification of Horst Wessel. Considered a Nazi martyr, he was in reality murdered and was not really a hero at all. He was however used by Nazi Propaganda minister Goebbels to be seen as a National Socialist hero who was murdered by Communists (Welch, 1983, p. 75). Horst Wes...

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...es from both nations can reveal certain common themes including the glorification of heroes, an all-powerful leader and the degradation of the nation’s enemies. It can be concluded that since two separate nations used the same themes and media that there must have been some degree of success. As one looks back at these two regimes one may wonder how people could have supported these radical and often horrific forms of government. Propaganda is defiantly one of many answers.

Works Cited

Bonnel, Victoria E. Iconography of Power: Soviet Political Posters under Lenin and Stalin Berkeley: University of California Press, 1997.

Britain Alone. Videotape. London: BBC TV [1980]. 20min.

Hitler, Adolf and Anton Drexler Programme of the NSDAP, 24 February 1920, 1999, Hiter Historical Museum, Retrieved 07 Nov. 1999.

Maltin, Leonard “Triumph of the Will” Leonard Maltin’s Movie and Video Guide 1995 [CD-ROM]. Dutton Signet, 1994.

Triumph Des Willens. Dir. Leni Riefenstahl Berlin: NSDAP – Reichspropaganda Abteilund, 1934

Welch, David Propaganda and the German Cinema: 1933 – 1945 Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1983