Berlin Olympics

The Nazis also used sport as a form of propaganda. The government co-ordinated the sporting bodies under a Reich's sports Fuhrer.  The Hitler youth and DAF organised various activities for the masses. Activities which would help develop fit bodies for that of a soldier or child bearer. 

A poster for the advertising of the games.

In 1936 the government made a greater effort to ensure that sporting propaganda was a success. The Berlin games should of been held in 1916 when the stadium was ready, but instead was put back to 1936 and construction re-started on a Modernist style of stadium. Because Hitler disliked this 'glass box' and insisted on something on a gigantic scale. The existing steel structure was covered in stone to also create a memorial to fallen soldiers to link militarianism with sport; it was out of spirit with the Olympics; Hitler said "he who wishes to live must also fight. And he who will not strive in this world of struggle does not deserve the gift of life."

To Hitler the Olympics were a chance to show physical superiority of the Germans as the master race, there organisational skills and enhance the countries international status. While there was international visitors the level of anti-Semitic propaganda was reduced and the emphasis was on international instead of individual competition. 

 A photograph taken from the Games. 

Max Schmeling's success as a heavyweight boxer, who knocked out Joe Louis in New York in 1936 was used further to demonstrate Nazi supremacy. Football however wasn't Germany's strongest game and wasn't able to match Italy's triumph of winning the world cup. But overall the games meant a rise in Germany's status and they managed to get the English to give the Nazi solute before the 1938 game; giving them a boost. And for those 2 weeks in August 1936; Adolf Hitler's Dictatorship covered its racist, militaristic character; calming down on it anti-Semitic agenda and plans for territorial expansion. Allowing the games to dazzle many foreign spectators and journalists with a peaceful and tolerant Germany illusion. 

Literature - The books that survived...

After the burning of the books ceremony, in Berlin, when 20,000 books; fiction and non fiction were burnt to cleanse Germany. many novelists such as Thomas Mann and Stefan Zweig went into exile. others stayed but were forbidden to publish and some were put into prison. Novelist were expected to promote Nazi ideology or be neutral in there writing styles and opinions. Favorited novels of the time included about comrades in the trenches, and the 'blood and soil' novels which stressed the traditions rural peasant values. 

Many children's books included stories about the 'dirty Jews' and how they were not to be trusted ect, these were taught in schools as well as for 'bedtime' reading. When you look at the grand scheme of things to do with education of the youth and the parental upbringing, of which of course wasn't going to go against the Nazis due to the fear of being taken away and killed; it shows how effective propaganda was in literature sense. Especially in the younger generations as they were bought up reading and following Nazi ideology, knowing no different.

The propaganda minister, Joseph Goebbles did not think a lot of the books however and didn't see why Hitler put up with some of the publications as they were so 'terrible'. For example; one children's book called the 'poisoned mushroom, or Der Giftpilz, which is the German word for toadstool. This publication was by Julius Streicher and his publication house. It was aimed at kids and sometimes used in schools. It's stories included; 'how to recognise a Jew' 'how Jewish traders cheat' 'are there any decent Jews?' and many more awful titles. 
To read some of the stories; click on the link below. 

Stories from the book 'the poisonous mushroom'

The effectiveness of Nazi propaganda

Nazi propaganda was effective for various reasons, one reason was that it was powerful because it enjoyed a state monopoly, therefore was skilfully deployed to often reinforced popular prejudices.

Propaganda was also effective in securing the consolidation of the dictatorship, demonstrating state paternalism and reinforcing Nazi ideas for the family and young people, as there was no escape from the various posters, ideology in books and education, painting and many more. Many forms of Propaganda also encouraged a growing sense of Nationalism and the marginalisation of the Jews; showing a growing hatred towards them. It was successful though because for many Germans, propaganda dulled their senses and lulled them into a sense of security or helplessness; and when fear is involved, people tend to stick to what others are doing. 

There were, however, limits to the success of propaganda. The Germans were a highly educated and cultured nation and propaganda failed when it was crude or oppressive. As many didn't agree with the way other parties and people were treated.

The Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda

As Minister of Enlightenment, Goebbels  had two main tasks:

to ensure nobody in Germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaging to the Nazi Party.

to ensure that the views of the Nazis were put across in the most persuasive manner possible.

To ensure success, Goebbels had to work with the SS and Gestapo and Albert Speer. The former hunted out those who might produce articles defamatory to the Nazis and Hitler while Speer helped Goebbels with public displays of propaganda.

To ensure that everybody thought in the correct manner, Goebbels set up the Reich Chamber of Commerce in 1933. This organisation dealt with literature, art, music, radio, film, newspapers etc. To produce anything that was in these groups, you had to be a member of the Reich Chamber. The Nazi Party decided if you had the right credentials to be a member. Any person who was not admitted was not allowed to have any work published or performed. Disobedience brought with it severe punishments. As a result of this policy, Nazi Germany introduced a system of censorship. You could only read, see and hear what the Nazis wanted you to read, see and hear. In this way, if you believed what you were told, the Nazi leaders logically assumed that opposition to their rule would be very small and practiced only by those on the very extreme who would be easy to catch.

Hitler came to power in January 1933. By May 1933, the Nazi Party felt sufficiently strong to publicly demonstrate where their beliefs were going when Goebbels organised the first of the infamous book burning episodes. 

Albert Speer

Albert Speer, 1905-81, was a German architect who was, for a part of World War II, Minister of Armaments and War Production for the Third Reich. Speer was Adolf Hitler's chief architect before assuming ministerial office. Speer joined the Nazi Party in 1931, launching him on a political and governmental career which lasted fourteen years.

His architectural skills made him increasingly prominent within the Party and he became a member of Hitler's inner circle. Hitler instructed him to design and construct a number of structures, including the Reich Chancellery and the Zeppelinfeld stadium in Nuremberg where Party rallies were held. Speer also made plans to reconstruct Berlin on a grand scale, with huge buildings, wide boulevards, and a reorganized transportation system.

In February 1942, Hitler appointed Speer Minister of Armaments and War Production. Under his leadership, Germany's war production continued to increase despite considerable Allied bombing. After the war, he was tried at Nuremberg and sentenced to 20 years in prison for his role in the Nazi regime, principally for the use of forced labor. He served his full sentence, most of it at Spandau Prison in West Berlin.

Following his release from Spandau in 1966, Speer published two bestselling autobiographical works, Inside the Third Reich and Spandau: The Secret Diaries, detailing his often close personal relationship with Hitler, and providing readers and historians with a unique perspective on the workings of the Nazi regime. He later wrote a third book, Infiltration, about the SS. Speer died of natural causes in 1981 while on a visit to London.

Artichecture

"Architecture is not only the spoken word in stone, it is the expression of the faith and conviction of a community, or else it signifies the power, greatness and fame of a great man or ruler." - Hitler's Cultural address 1937

Nazi architecture was an architectural plan which played a role in the Nazi party's plans to create a cultural and spiritual rebirth in Germany as part of the Third Reich. Nazi buildings were created with community gatherings in mind. Large spaces, where large numbers of people  could come together was first and for most. It was important to Hitler that people be impressed when they came to see his speeches.

The buildings were meant to set a stage for the speaker. The Greatness of these buildings in size and design confirmed the strong Nazi messages. The Nazis believed the atmosphere the buildings created were crucial to how the German public would respond to their speeches. Hitler also started the Thingstätte movement. Where they only used natural materials to build, such as stones, were built on sites thought to be historic. This generally they took after ancient Greek buildings architecturally and the structures were meant to connect Germans to their Aryan ancestry. This was closely linked with the "Blood and Soil" belief. The Nazi party believed that only Germans of Aryan decent should be entitled to German land. Often these buildings were used for Nazi gatherings or celebrations.

Symbolism in German Architecture also played an important role in the style chosen by the Nazi party; German buildings were built for both form and function. The German Art museum serves as a prime example of how Nazi Architecture was symbolic; it was created to house paintings and large numbers of people. It was designed in the style of the Aryans, giving it a cultural and temple like feeling. It contained paintings specifically praised by Hitler and the Nazis and so became an experience similar to that of worship in a church. Nazi Architecture began to take on two styles one mimicked after the neo-classicism period and the other similar to that of Volkisch. 

1. Neo Classicism means; the revival of a classical style or treatment in art, literature, architecture, or music. And most buildings were elaborate, symmetrical, imposing, and timeless works; while keeping to the traditional theme. 

2. VÖLKISCH means: (of a person or ideology) populist or nationalist, and typically racist. the volkisch style was mainly used in the rural towns. Housing was created for many Germans in this traditional style. And although the buildings appeared in traditional older settings many of them were used for modern businesses. Nazi buildings were not meant to be inventive or spectacular, rather they were intended to be traditional and connect the German population with their Aryan roots which was the aim behind architecture propaganda. The Nazi Party strictly forbid any modern building to be built; in their aim to return to the traditional roots.

Albert Speer was a major proponent for the neo classicism style. He encouraged the use of traditional materials and assured that years later even when the buildings were neglected, they would look profound and powerful. Hitler believed that granite and marble were the only materials that were worth using because of their grandeur and structure that would last over the third Reich. While some historians believe that it was an economic necessity masked by symbolism. The articeture was meant to symbolise German values; celebrate labour, motherhood and the Aryan race/ way of life and throughout the buildings the sculptures and tiled mosaics also represented these celebrations. 

Himmilar once spoke on architecture. He said: 

"When people are silent, stones speak. By means of the stone, great epochs speak to the present so that fellow citizens; are able to uplift themselves through the beauty of self-made buildings. Proud and self-assured, they should be able to look upon these works erected by their own community." 

and…

"Buildings are always erected by people. People are children of their blood, are members or their race. As blood speaks, so the people build." 

this shows that Nazi Architecture was so much more than just building design. It was just as much propaganda as the cartoons of Hitler handing out food, or with angel like wings. It was designed with a goal in mind. It was meant to create a place for mass gatherings, represent the importance of Hitler and the traditional movement and impart values of Community in the people of Germany.

Cultural propaganda; Paintings...

Hitler was very interested in paintings and in 1828 Alfred Rosenberg set up the combat league for German culture, once in power Hitler began to remove any work he say was ‘degenerate’ or corrupt. To make wake for ‘healthy’ Aryan art, this portrayed the Nazi ideology and message. Others had wider artistic taste but in 1936 Hitler’s views were imposed.

Modern, abstract, reflective art that had become popular in the Weimar Republic was replaced by clear visuals that ordinary Germans could understand and could be inspired by.  Nazi art was to be clear, direct and heroic. This meant people were not drawn as real individuals but instead as heroic idealisations (the healthy peasant, the brave warrior, the productive woman for examples). All the while Hitler was portrayed as the ‘wise, imperious leader’.

example of abstract work of the time
that was seen as degenerate and disturbing.

Landscapes, revealing sources of the Volk and rural life, predominated, followed by nude women to display biological purity. Even though they were superficially realistic compared to the much hated abstract art, it didn’t reflect the real world so much as the Nazi ideology and myths.

Hitler saw that art should be of the masses; in both terms of reflecting popularity and to reach mass audiences. This therefore made this form of propaganda effective; as the state had control over what was produced and how it was spread through-out Germany. All working artists had to become members of the ‘Reich Culture Chamber’ and the state could remove licences to teach, exhibit or paint by issuing a ‘Malverbot’.

There were lots of well-attended local and national exhibitions throughout this period, in 1935 over 120 exhibitions were held in factories and in 1941 there were over 1000 art exhibitions overall.  Many paintings were reproduced full scale or for postcards, stamps, in journals or newspapers. One magazine had over 50,000 prints ran over its course.

Lehmann-Haupt said that everyone was ‘continuously exposed to some form of officially sponsored art activity’ but looking at it from an artistic viewpoint it shows how German art degenerated under the Third Reich into masses of stereotypical images. This was because many of the greatest artists had left the country. Or went into internal exile meaning they stayed in Germany but stopped working as an artist.

Art propaganda took several forms...

Sculpture;

Sculptures were mire immediately accessible to people through the fact many had been placed inform of public buildings. And by 1934 it was decreed that all new public buildings should be embellished by statues which conveyed the Nazi message. Many showed the typical stereotype of the Nazi race and virtues with the ‘perfect’ exterior. A series of sculptures were of muscled men parading; these were in-front of Nazi buildings to reflect on the biologically pure, vigorous Aryan race.

Hitler’s favourite sculptures were Arno Breker and Josef Thorsk and so were given great studios to produce masses of heroic German figures with dominating animals attached, such as the eagle.   

the eagle representing power, protection and
domination. 

muscle man, represent strong perfection of the master race!

statues were placed outside of public
buildings so people saw them a lot.

Art Propaganda

In 1937 two exhibitions were held in Munich (the city of art in Hitler’s eyes) one exhibition represented the regime that was considered as the best German art and the other was of what was deemed degenerate art. 

The exhibition of great German art was held in a newly built museum, the first of many of Hitler’s grand public buildings, the exhibition held had two purposes. Firstly it was an opportunity for artists to display and sell their work but more importantly an opportunity for people to see ‘true’ German art. Over 16,000 pieces were submitted, only 6,000 of which were chosen. This art was deemed to represent the healthy instincts of the master race. More than 60,000 people attended the exhibition; and was preceded a ‘day of German art’ which later became an annual pageant of 2,000 years of German history parading through Munich. 

The exhibition of degenerate art was opened a day later on the 19th July and was opened by the president of the Art chamber. The exhibition displayed 5,000 degenerate pieces labelled as the work of ‘degenerates’. They all reflected on the disruption of established values under the Weimar Republic that had been the downfall of Germany. The work displayed distorted forms, unnatural colours and unsettling subjects they included works of Emil Nolde, Max Bechmann, Gauguin, Van Gogh, Picasso ect. Over two million people attended this exhibition and after going on a national tour the works were destroyed, sold abroad or kept by Goering. 

Hitler said; ‘its not art that creates new ages, but the ordinary life of a people that adopts new forms and accordingly often seeks a new expression…’ this was a short extract of his speech on opening the exhibition of Great German Art in 1937.

Parade - Nuremberg Rally

 The Nuremberg Rally was the annual rally of the Nazi Party in Germany, held from 1923 to 1938. They were large Nazi propaganda events. These events were held at the Nazi party rally grounds in Nuremberg from 1933 to 1938 and are usually referred to in English as the Nuremberg Rallies. The Nazi Party rallies took place in 1923 in Munich, 1926 in Weimar, 1927 on they took place in only Nuremberg. The Party selected Nuremberg for pragmatic reasons: it lay in the center of the German Reich and the local Luitpoldhain was well suited as a venue. In addition, the Nazis could rely on the well-organized local branch of the party in Franconia, then led by Gauleiter Julius Streicher. The Nuremberg police were sympathetic to the event.

Films.

Films was seen more as a means of relaxation than directly for explicit propaganda purposes. 

The number of flimgoers quadrupled between 1933 and 1942. The state over time increasing got control over both film companies and the content of films. The government left 4 major film companies to stay private because they didn't want to effect or harm the amount of export sales. However, the RMVP gradually brought up shares, and increasingly financed films, so indrectly comapnies became state owned. In 1942 all were nationalised under Ufi (Ufa Film GmbH)

Several American films were banned in Germany. 

Goebbels personally looked over each film broadcasting in Germany to see it was fit for German citizens to watch. For example if it was 'politically and artistically valuable', 'culturally valuable', a 'film of the nation', 'valuable for youth' - and given money accordingly. During the Nazi regime over one thousand feature films were produced. With one-sixth bein overtly propagandist. 

Leni Riefenstahl a producer was in charge of get detailed recording rallies and festivals, to tell/explain to people what's happening. Her most famous films were 'Triumph of the Will' about the Nuremberg Rally and 'Olympia' about the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin.

Films were probably more effective in keeping support for the regime than in indoctrinating people with Nazism. The need for entertainment took priority. 

Press.

The Nazi's had three main methods of control over the press:

Firstly, it controlled all of these involvements in press - journalist, editors, publishers - through compulsory membership of co-ordinating bodies. The Reich Press Chamber included the Reich Assoication of the German Press which kept a reigister of acceptable editors and journalists. A law created in October 1933 made editors respsonible for infrigements of government directives. Thus meaning that anything published against the government were removed, so everything publised in newspapers about the government were positive. 

Secondly, the RMVP controlled the content of the press through the state-controlled Press Agaency which provided roughly half of te content of the newspapers. The RMVP helded daily press conferences and issued detailed directives on content, including the length and position of articles. 

Lastly, control was exercised by by extending Nazi ownership of the press. The Nazi Party's publishing house, Ether Verlag, gradually took over, directly or indrectly, most of the press. Thus Nazi ownership of the media grew from 5% (of circulation) in 1933 to 69% in 1939 and to 82% in 1944. 

Meetings and Rallies!

Meetings and Rallies were one of the most effective ways of gaining support. Supportivers commitment would have strengthen attending rallies. They also won over bystanders. Rallies also even made non-participants fell they wanted to become art of such an impressive movement. Rallies were carefully organised.

Goebbels described how rallies transformed a person 'from a little worm into a part of a large dragon!' Speer specialised in choreographing the displays etc. by using architecture of light, to create an effect similar to today's pop concerts!

The combination of uniforms, disciplined mass movements, stirring music, striking flags and symbols, often at night, created a powerful feeling of wishing to belong. Then came the adress by Hitler, the master of manipulating mass emotions. 

A few pictures of a typical Nazi rally!! 

From these pictures you can see the amount of people that would of have been attending. HUGE!

Theatre in Nazi Germany - Propaganda

The experimentation in drama was abruptly ended in the Third Reich. Many playwrights such as Bertolt Brecht and Ernst Toller emigrated with others being banned from making productions. Drama now concentrated on historical drama, light entertainment and ‘blood and soil’ stories. Drama was brought to the people in subsidised theatres run by Strength through Joy, and by touring companies. A new form of drama called Thingspielen (literally, assembly) was developed. A combination of pageant circus, it glorified the pagan past and was performed in specially constructed outdoor amphitheatres.

About 4000 people connected to theatre fled from the country because of the dictatorship. Jewish actors were forced to take an early retirement or be exiled.

Click on the link to check out more examples...

More Nazi Propaganda examples; via pintrest

Radio Propaganda...

Radio broadcasts played a major part in the Nazi propaganda because it was in an era before mass television, radio, newspapers ect. (They all played their part in putting over to the public Hitler’s messages)

Propaganda was under the control of Joseph Goebbels and it was his idea to make cheap radios available to the German public so that the majority of households had access to a radio to be able to here Hitlers speeches. Goebbles saw that it was also the most effective form of propaganda because it meant people didn't have to go out of their way to see or hear the message. Furthermore Goebbles wasn't convinced newspapers were an effective measure.

In March 1933 Goebbels transferred this power to the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda with himself at the center of control. Therefore Goebbels had the final say in radio broadcasts, but he placed the day-to-day running of radio broadcasts in the hands of Eugen Hadamowsky who became head of the Chamber of Radio; checking in with Goebbles on his progress.

The radio wasn't free though... each household had to pay two marks a month..this covered the coast of broadcasting. Which they used to promote and remind people of the Nazi ideals – national pride, patriotism, pride in Hitler, Aryan pride etc. He also wanted to spread the word of Nazism abroad. He wanted to convey to the world the idea that Nazism was an acceptable political idea and his first radio broadcasts were performances by some of Germany’s top orchestras and opera singers; Goebbles had full control over what the house holds heard, this was an effective form of propaganda as it allowed things to be repeated easily and subtly keeping peoples attentions. especially the women who were home all day, cooking, cleaning and looking after the children. 

Examples of Poster Propaganda...

Hitler playing the role of God, planting the seeds for a
greater Germany.





The one leader..

suggestion that the jews are as sbad as communists and very much controlled the money; as they got rich while others got poor.



Advantages of Posters...

Posters were a backbone of the Nazi propaganda effort, aimed both at Germany itself and occupied territories. 

It's advantages included;

• The visual effect; as by being striking,  it would reach the viewer easily and catch their attention.
• Posters were also, unlike other forms of propaganda such as film and other media sources, difficult to avoid. This was because forms of posters were put up everywhere.
• Imagery frequently drew on heroic realism; for example the Nazi youth and the SS were depicted monumentally, with lighting posed to portray grandeur.. this therefore influenced others to want to get involved and be seen in the same way.

Hans Schweitzer produced many Nazi propaganda posters.

Posters...

Posters were an important propaganda tool for the Nazis as the manipulated images helped to plant ideas in the public's mind.

The posters were to promote;

• Germany's greatness
• The happiness the 'policies' were meant to bring
• That the Jews were as bad as the communists.
• That Hitler was a 'God' and 'savior' of Germany
• The youths were a part of the future and it was mandatory.
• To promote films; The 'Eternal Jew' for example... which you can watch via the YouTube clip attached!

Nazi poster propaganda was based on using a range of symbols, slogans, repetition, emotion and most importantly: Fear. simple enough to be subtle but effective, also so that the common man was able to understand it.

Fear was well used by the Nazis because when people sense uncertainty and the worst; they are influenced into action to protect their own. While repetition meant that more people saw it as the norm' they two would follow suit. symbols like the swastika was commonly used in the posters along with the face of Hitler; 'the fuhrer'.

What is propaganda?

Propaganda is some form of information that is either biased or to a misleading nature; to promote or persuade people to do something, without realising. 
Normally to promote a political cause / point of view.