Nazi Propaganda

1. Propaganda means spreading information that influences how people think and behave.

2. It gives only certain points of view and often leaves out important facts.

3. The Nazis used powerful propaganda to get the support of the German people. Dr Joseph Goebbels was in overall charge of the Nazis' 'propaganda machine'.

1. Nazi propaganda was used to unite the German people and convince them that the Nazis would make Germany strong.

2. Germans were encouraged to hate the countries that signed the Treaty of Versailles. The Nazis said Germany should fight to get back the territory 'stolen' by the treaty.

3. Goebbels created the 'Hitler Myth', which made Hitler seem like a god and the saviour of Germany. This was the 'cult of the Fuhrer'.

A popular slogan was 'One people, one empire, one leader'. Many Germans devoted their lives to Hitler.

4. The Nazis' propaganda also said that Jews and communists were the biggest cause of Germany's problems. One Nazi paper claimed that Jews murdered children for the Passover Feast.

5. The Nazis encouraged a return to traditional German values and a revival of traditional German culture.

1. Goebbels founded the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in 1933.

2. It had departments for music, theatre, film, literature and radio. All artists, writers, journalists and musicians had to register to get their work approved.

1. The Nazis wanted to surround people with their propaganda. They used censorship to prevent Germans from seeing or hearing anything that gave a different message.

2. They sold cheap radios and controlled broadcasts. By 1939 approximately 70% of households had a radio, which gave the Nazis a voice in most people's homes.

According to Goebbels, radio was a 'weapon of the totalitarian state' - it was a way to control the German people.

3. In 1933, only 3% of German daily newspapers were controlled by the Nazis. By 1944, this had risen to 82%. This meant the Nazis could decide what was published in the papers.

4. The Nazis also produced hundreds of films. Many films showed the strengths of the Nazis and Hitler, and the weakness of their opponents. An important German director was Leni Riefenstahl.

5. Another method of spreading propaganda was through posters showing the evil of Germany's enemies and the power of Hitler. Propaganda also let Germans know what was expected of them.