Culture and Propaganda

• Propaganda in Nazi Germany was run by Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda.
• Joseph Goebbels used a variety of techniques to spread the Nazi ideology.
• Nazi messages only provided facts that supported their ideology.
• Nazi messages repeated simple ideas around the glory of war, Hitler as a powerful leader, the evils of Communism, the inferiority of the Jews, and the glorification of the Aryan race and volk values, such as family.
• Cinemas in Nazi Germany showed films that emphasised Nazi messages.
• Hitler used radios in homes and loudspeakers in public spaces to reach everyone in German society.
• Radio shows in Nazi Germany featured Hitler’s speeches, German music or Nazi history.
• Rallies and military parades were important for showing the strength of Germany.
• The Berlin Olympics in 1936 was a perfect opportunity to display Nazi power.
• The Nazis hoped the Olympics would showcase Aryan superiority.
• An embarrassing moment for Hitler was when the African-American Jesse Owens won gold in the 100 metres.
• The Nazi Party paused their anti-Semitic policies for the length of the Berlin Olympics.
• Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Enlightenment and Propaganda, was in charge of propaganda and censorship in Germany.
• The counterpart to propaganda was censorship.
• The Nazis burned books written by Jews or books which disagreed with Nazi beliefs.
• All scripts in plays, films and radio shows were told what to say by the Nazis.
• Only newspapers that supported the Nazis were allowed to operate.
• In 1944, the Nazis controlled over 80% of German newspapers.
• The initial success of Nazi propaganda can be regarded as hugely successful.
• Goebbels could spread Nazi ideas in both obvious and subtle ways.
• Posters everywhere showed the messages that the Nazis wanted to spread.
• Most of German society supported the Nazis.
• In 1939, the majority of Germans had radios and Nazi messages were broadcast into peoples' houses.
• The Nazi propaganda machine only began to fail when Germany started to lose the war.
• The Nazis wanted the arts to be traditional.
• The Reich Chamber of Culture was set up in 1933 to monitor art and culture to make sure that they conformed to the Nazi message.
• The Nazis wanted buildings to reflect Nazi power.
• The Nazis modelled architecture off the grandeur of the Ancient Romans and Greeks.
• Buildings had to be built from traditional materials.
• Albert Speer was Hitler’s preferred architect.
• Albert Speer created key Nazi buildings, such as the buildings for rallies.
• The Nazis wanted music to be traditional.
• ‘Degenerate’ Jazz music was banned.
• Any music written by a Jewish composer was forbidden, for example Mendelsshon.
• Music by Beethoven was encouraged.
• Art was meant to glorify the Aryan race and traditional volk values.
• The Reich Chamber of Visual Arts regulated artists.
• Art had a naturalist style.
• Favoured Nazi artists were rewarded with large competition prizes.