Examining
Nazi
Propaganda
By Viviane Weinstabl
The Use of Colour
Denotation:
The only colours used on this poster are
black, white and red.
Connotation:
Red, white and black are the colours
used in the Nazi logo. Together they
symbolise the Nazi party and Hitler.
Hence, the repetition of only these
(simple) colours in the poster emphasise
the party and make it easier to
remember them.
The Swastika
Denotation:
The symbol of the swastika is portrayed
in a white circle surrounded by a splatter
of red. It is also covered up by red words
which read: “List: 9”
The red and white contrast and draw
attention to the audience (the first thing
they see is the swastika)
Connotation:
The audience is drawn straight towards
the swastika, the symbol of the Nazi’s,
repeated in almost every Nazi
propaganda poster. Though it is covered
up with red text, it is undeniably the Nazi
symbol. The red text above is smartly
located as it relates the Nazi logo with
the number they are on the election list.
The Text Style
Denotation:
In the middle of the poster is says
“NATIONAL-SOCIALIST
GERMANWORKERS-PARTY”
Connotation:
This poster was made in 1930 for the
Reichstag Election and is propaganda for
the Nazi Workers Party. The use of
making the “German” text large and
bold, makes it a bandwagon poster. With
the emphasized “German”, it implies that
the Nazi Party is the only party which
really represents the German Nation.
During WWII, Hitler’s objective was to
expand Germany, to create Greater
Germany. Hence, the style of the text
conveys the party’s message as well as
unites all German citizens (a successful
title for an election poster).
The Image of a Flag
Denotation:
The top part of the poster consists of a
rectangular-shaped splatter of red colour, the
Nazi logo and the title text of the poster and on
the left side of the poster there is a sword
passing through the Star of David on a serpent’s
head. The form that the sword and the red
splatter make is that of a flag.
Connotation:
The shape of a flag emphasizes that the Nazi
party is the representing party of a whole
country. This conveys a meaning to the audience
and the German citizens which states that the
Nazi party will do what is right for Germany.
Furthermore, the fact that the pole of the flag is a
sword which passes through the Star of David on
a serpents head, it depicts a state of conquering.
The Germans largely blamed the Jews for WWI,
thus the defeat for Germany, the Treaty of
Versailles and ultimately the depression.
Therefore, an image of a flag knifing through
Jews, is a scapegoat on the Jews to unite
Germany and make them vote for the Nazi party;
the ones who represent Germany and
‘exterminate those who have done bad to her
and must pay’.
The Serpent
Denotation:
The bottom part of the poster consists of a
(black and white) serpent, whose tongue is
red and has a red Star of David on his head
with a sword passing through it.
Connotation:
The meaning of the serpents head is obvious,
the serpent represents ‘Der Jude’ (the Jew),
and the significance of the sword was
discussed previously. The depiction of the Jew
(the serpent) is made to look bad and disgust
the audience. Instead of an image of a serpent
with its colourful scales and patterns, this
serpent it black and white. Its skin looks
almost worm-like; something which would
look disgusting to most people. Additionally,
the red tongue implies the evilness of the
Jews. Red, in this case, is a symbol for blood
and evil. Together with the Star of David, it is
the only thing that has colour; emphasising
the disgust towards the threat of the Jews.
The Words Coming out of the Serpent
Denotation:
Coming out of the serpent are the red words:
‘USURY, VERSAILLES, UNEMPLOYMENT, WAR GUILT LIE,
MARXISM, BOLSHEVISM, LIES AND BETRAYAL,
INFLATION, LOCARNO, DAWES PACT, YOUNG PLAN,
CORRUPTION, BARMAT, KUTISTKER, SKLAREK [the last
three Jews involved in major financial scandals],
PROSTITUTION, TERROR, CIVIL WAR’
Connotation:
The red parts of the serpent symbolise what is evil and
hence these words are associated with hatred and
revulsion. Here are the words used and why Hitler’s
party depicted them as awful things, that he and the
Nazis would improve for the German nation.
• ‘USURY’, ‘ WAR GUILT LIE’, ‘LIES AND BETRAYAL’,
‘CORRUPTION’ and ‘PROSTITUTION’ - All of these
things were what Hitler blamed the Jews with; for
lending money exorbitant interest, for starting WWI
and denying it, for corrupting Germany and engaging
in prostitution.
•‘BARMAT’, ‘KUTISTKER’ and ‘SKLAREK’ [the last three
Jews involved in major financial scandals] - They were
known to the German public and hence, hated by all (a
scapegoat to unite Germans and get them to vote the
Nazi party)
•‘VERSAILLES’ - The Treaty that Germans absolutely
loathed as it suppressed Germany, gave her little
freedom, put her in dept and caused many problems
for citizens
The Words Coming out of the Serpent
Connotation (continued):
•‘INFLATION’ and ‘UNEMPLOYMENT’ - Inflation
occurred after WWI and caused mass unemployment;
things that Hitler promised to change as it brought
great misery to Germany
•‘MARXISM’ and ‘BOLSHEVISM’ - Two ideologies and
beliefs that Hitler and the Nazis opposed (and tried to
get Germans to feel the same by relating them to the
Jewish serpent
•‘LOCARNO’ - A treaty that German foreign minister
Gustav Stresemann proposed to France and Belgium,
which included the acceptance that Alsace-Lorraine
was permanently part of French and the promise not
to send German troops into the Rhineland. Hitler
hated this as he thought it was a disgrace to Germans
and would tear it up eleven years later when he sent
the German Army into the Rhineland in 1936.
•‘DAWES PACT’ and ‘YOUNG PLAN’ - These two pacts
were drawn up by American bankers to reduce the
reparations that Germany faced and in return put the
German economy in American hands.
•‘TERROR’ and ‘CIVIL WAR’
These were words that the Nazi propaganda poster
used to tell the Germans that they should vote for
them so that they could abolish terror and war;
something that most people wanted anyway.