Why was propaganda so important to the Nazis and how do their policies show
this?
"The essence of propaganda consists in winning people over to an idea so sincerely,
so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and can never escape from it."
Goebbels
Even a superficial glance at the history of the NSDAP clearly shows the importance that the
Party placed upon propaganda. Indeed it is hard to separate the two, so inextricably are they
linked. This is true both before and after the gaining of political power in January 1933. Both
Hitler and Goebbels commentated extensively on propaganda and their words illustrate the
variety of reasons why they considered it of such importance as the above quote shows. This
essay will analyse these reasons in more depth. In addition, an analysis of the policies and
methods used by the Nazis pertaining to propaganda give us further insights into why
propaganda was considered so crucial by them. It is no coincidence that one of the first things
that the Nazis did upon gaining power was to create a new ministry devoted to the creation,
control and dissemination of propaganda, clearly reflecting the importance they placed upon it.
A careful analysis of this propaganda apparatus, particularly its component parts, gives the
historian further insights into the envisaged roles of propaganda in the Nazi mind and from
that we can extrapolate why it was so central in their thinking.
Reasons why it was considered important.
"Propaganda is not an end in itself, but a means to an end. If the means achieves the
end then the means is good.........the new Ministry has no other aim than to unite the
nation behind the ideal of the national revolution." Goebbels. Only by uniting the
German people ideologically in a national socialist mindset could the aims of Hitler’s
weltanschauung be made into reality and the unified volksgemeinschaft created. Propaganda
was the means to achieve this and therefore a vital tool. The Nazis wanted enthusiastic
support not just terrified submission. Typical of a government with totalitarian pretensions.
Additionally the Nazis were aware that in 1933 they did not have the active support of the
majority of the population and propaganda would have a crucial role in changing this.
Propaganda would be important in gaining support for and legitimising particular policies that
the Nazi government wished to implement. For example anti Semitism, the T4 programme,
rearmament etc. It would of course hopefully reduce opposition, overt or covert.
Propaganda would be a tool that would help the Nazi government to strengthen and maintain
their grip on power through gaining support for themselves and their policies. This could take
the form of intimidating their potential opponents.
Propaganda would be crucial in creating and sustaining the Hitler Myth. This was important in
gaining support for the Nazi regime, enhancing Hitler’s personal power (something he wanted)
and enforcing and legitimising the Nazi concept of the Fuhrer Prinzip. Kershaw argues that
the Hitler Myth was vital in strengthening Hitler’s power and popularising Hitler and by
association the Nazi regime. Propaganda enabled this to occur.
Goebbels argued that propaganda created a bond between the state and the volk. It made
Germans feel that they were included and valued and made them feel that the state reflected
their needs and hopes. This may be untrue but it does show what Goebbels believed
propaganda could achieve and why it was important.
Propaganda would be essential in creating a purified national socialist cultural and artistic life.
Hitler as an artist believed that a culture’s art reflected its nature and beliefs. The race would
be corrupted by degenerate art. Society’s morals would be perverted. Propaganda through art
would halt this. F Spotts.
Propaganda would play a vital role in education and the indoctrination of the young. It was
very important to turn the young into Nazis to secure the future of the Nazi state.’ He alone, who
owns the youth, gains the future.”
Propaganda was an important method whereby the regime could be legitimised internationally.
It could be used to aid diplomacy and foreign policy objectives.
Propaganda could be used to boost economic production by convincing workers that they
were better off under Nazi rule or to promote an atmosphere of confidence and optimism.
Policies that show this
The money and resources put into devising, producing and disseminating propaganda.
Huge efforts made to disseminate propaganda as widely as possible.
Time and effort put into making the propaganda appeal to as many people and different types
of people as possible.
The amount of propaganda produced
The huge government bureaucracies created whose primary function was to deal with
propaganda.