Propaganda & Censorship

• Joseph Goebbels


  Minister for People's Enlightenment and Propaganda, in charge of censoring anti-Nazi attitudes and promoting Nazi beliefs through propaganda
• The Nazis controlled all aspects of media, sport, culture and the arts
• Newspaper control by the Nazis

  1. Banning newspapers of opponents

  2. Newspapers had to publish what Nazis ordered

  3. Told what they could not publish

  4. Told what to say in regular briefings

  5. Given exact words to print
• Radio


  Increasingly popular in 1920s and 30s, Nazis took control of radio factories and got radios into 70% of German homes by 1939, all radio stations under Nazi control, Hitler broadcasts were compulsory
• Nazi rallies


  • Nuremberg rally held annually, became bigger using Nazi symbols to create a sense of belonging and excitement
• Sport was an opportunity for the Nazis to self-promote and embed Nazi ideals, every sporting win was promoted as a win for Nazi ideals of racial purity</b>
• 1936 Berlin Olympics


  • Nazis built 110,000 seater stadium covered in Nazi symbols, won 33 medals, films of the games played in German cinemas to promote Nazi ideals
• The Nazis hated new art, especially gritty and realistic, and instead wanted art that painted Germany in a romantic light and promoted Nazi ideals
• Nazi control of art

  Set up Reich Chamber of Art, 42,000 artists accepted in 1936, over 12,000 paintings removed from galleries, Gestapo checked on artists
• The Nazis banned music of black and Jewish artists, including jazz and Mendelson, but encouraged German composers like Wagner, Beethoven and Bach, as well as German folk music
• Nazi architecture


  Massive buildings to reflect power, inspired by ancient Greek and Roman architecture to create impression of grandiosity and history
• The Nazis burned millions of books written by Jewish, communist, and anti-Nazi authors, including works by Sigmund Freud and Albert Einstein
• Nazi control of cinema

  All films shown had to be approved by Goebbels, preceded by 45-minute newsreels promoting Nazi work, Nazis produced around 1,300 films promoting Nazi ideals