Influence of Propaganda

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Propaganda, the art of using visual and audio tools to persuade others to a particular point of view, was a powerful tool to the Nazi Party. With the use of propaganda, Adolf Hitler was able to control every aspect of German citizens’ lives. There were many different methods to obtaining this power over the people: radio, film, print, and speeches are a few popular ones often used by the Nazi Party. The effects propaganda had on the people was allowing Hitler to have full control in their lives. He manipulated them to being the kind of society he thought was fit.
In March 1933, Joseph Goebbels, who was previous the Reich Propaganda Leader of the Nazi Party, was made Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. With the position, he held control of communication media, such as radio, press, publishing, and film. One of his first acts in office was to stage the “burning of the books” in Berlin, where Jewish, Marxist and other authors were burned in bonfires. Goebbels was an anti-Semite who blamed them for all the problems in the world. Because of his strong anti-Semitism, along with his success in propaganda, he was close to Hitler and enjoyed friendship with him.
Public Radio broadcasting was a relatively new technology during the time of Hitler’s power in Germany. However, it was a powerful tool that could be used to engage households all over the nation. In Hitler’s first year of power, he broadcasted at least fifty speeches. The Nazi Party knew that radio held an considerable amount of power in indoctrinating its citizens, so millions of cheap radios were made and paid for by the government and distributed throughout the country. The Third Reich did not only use radio propaganda on its own citizens, but they also b...

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...ess that propaganda had in influencing the people in Germany. Without the kind of propaganda seen, it is a mystery as to whether the people would have tolerated the way Jews were treated by the government during this time. Propaganda is one of the greatest reasons Hitler held so much power for so long. The people were unable to see past the facade created by the propaganda and see Hitler and the Nazi Party for who they truly were.

Works Cited

Films in nazi germany. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ films_nazi_germany.htm

Propaganda in nazi germany. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.historylearningsite.co.uk/propaganda_in_nazi_germany.htm

Nazi propaganda. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://sefershoah.wordpress.com/nazi-propaganda/

Joseph goebbels. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Holocaust/goebbels.html

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