Propaganda During World War Two Essay Example
📌Category: | Nazi Germany, War, World War II |
📌Words: | 1148 |
📌Pages: | 5 |
📌Published: | 25 May 2021 |
While there are many possible causes to the Second World War, propaganda ultimately played a major role in instilling aggression and support into the German people. The National Socialist German Workers’ Party, or the Nazi Party, needed this in the people for them to take the power necessary for the damage they caused (“The Nazi Party”). After the First World War, the people of Germany and many other countries were left in an economic depression and faced even more suffering and pain. It was during this time that Nazi Party, led by Adolf Hitler, took power in Germany and their reign of terror began (“The Nazi Terror Begins”). This was done through a biased spread of information called propaganda and with the help of Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels, who, alongside Hitler, used strategic methods to gain the German people’s support (“Propaganda, Nazi”). In World War II, the Nazis used propaganda to sway people into giving Hitler their support by exploiting their fears, generating anti-Semitism, and encouraging acceptance of their methods, thus leading them down a dangerous path and into World War II.
During the social, economical, and political crisis that was happening after the First World War, the German people became scared of the level of instability and uncertainty their country was facing, which the Nazis used to their advantage (“The Aftermath of World-War…” ). The Nazi Party exploited these fears in films, newspapers, posters, and other forms of media that would spread messages like “‘Bread and Work’, aimed at the working class and the fear of unemployment, to a ‘Mother and Child’ poster portraying the Nazi ideals regarding woman” (“The Holocaust Explained”). Aiming the propaganda to target certain economical or social issues grabbed the people's attention. By exploiting the fears which much of the population shared, the Nazis gave themselves the image of the saviors to the German people. They let the people believe that by supporting their policy and their rule, Germany’s security and the economy would be restored. Much of the propaganda portrayed Hitler in particular as superhuman or god-like, which the German people quickly believed because these messages promised the answers they needed and a leader to guide them (“Who Were Hitler's…”). Regardless of the positive benefits people were promised in this propaganda, society's conditions worsened as Hilter eventually led them into a violent and global war. The people gave Hitler his power and allowed him to hold his position for twelve years, while he used militaristic methods to reclaim lost German territory and anger other world powers. By demonstrating that they had the solution to many of the problems German people faced, Nazis were able to win support throughout the entirety of this war, which allowed them to continue using their power for wrong (“Who Were Hitler's…”).
The Nazis' violent methods and cruel punishments were not easily hidden from the public eye so, instead, the German people were persuaded to accept these conditions through the use of propaganda. An article from the Holocaust Encyclopedia explains, “these appeared to depict the Nazi government as stepping in and “restoring order” (“Nazi Propaganda”). These methods were portrayed in the media as the necessary steps needed to be taken to achieve the promised utopian society. Militaristic actions against other countries were also justified by the Nazis and, in turn, were accepted by the public. Hitler also deflected much of the brutality and placed blame on those he held prejudices against as a way to hold onto the God-like image that the Nazi Party gave him and strengthen his argument for eradicating these minorities (“Deceiving the Public”). With this, Hitler was able to keep his favor among the people. Without the knowledge of the extent of the Nazi Party’s violence and the idea that it was necessary, the people continued to give them their support.
Experts often argue that it was through this brutality and inhumane methods that the Nazis gained most of their power. During their rise to power, Hitler and Nazi leaders destroyed German Democracy through decrees and laws (“Nazi Propaganda and Censorship”). By doing so, “The Nazis created a terror-state. This was achieved through intimidation and brutality. Those living in Germany were too scared to disobey Nazi laws” (“Why the Nazis were able to stay in power”). Hitler relied on this power to maintain this control (“The Nazi Terror Begins”). Whether people truly supported Hilter did not matter because any sign of protest would result in severe punishment. German citizens were under constant surveillance of the many security forces assigned by Hitler and they could be arrested, imprisoned, or even executed for any wrong move against Hitler and his rule. Because of this, many German people gave Hitler their support out of fear of the consequences that arose from opposing him, rather than truly believing in his ability to govern the country. While this is true, German democracy and many of the civil rights did not come to an end until after the Nazi Party gained control over the country in 1933 (“Nazi Propaganda and Censorship”). Until this time, they earned their support through manipulating the people’s opinions and providing them with optimism, security, and even a scapegoat through propaganda.
Anti-Semitism had existed in Germany long before the start of World War II, however, it was the Nazis that used these beliefs in propaganda to manipulate situations and issues to create the idea that Jewish people, and other minorities, were the ultimate root of all Germany’s problems. By doing so, they were able to earn votes and rally support. Using propaganda, Hitler wanted to bring this prejudice into the spotlight and make it a more common opinion (Nazi Anti-Semitism). In many forms of propaganda, the Jews are demonstrated as less than human and even the cause for Germany’s defeat in World War I, along with other german losses in war and on the home-front. The Jews “were portrayed as a race of greedy, depraved and conniving untermensch (sub-humans) who preyed upon hapless Germans” (“Nazi Anti-Semitism”). This gave the German people an easy scapegoat to blame for all of their suffering which was often done. An article from the Holocaust encyclopedia states, “Essential to the intimidating effects of the terror was the willingness of many German citizens to denounce their fellow citizens, Jewish and non-Jewish, to the police” (“Nazi Terror Begins”). Without the people’s support, the Nazi Party could not have exercised the level of control that they did. By spreading the idea that eradication of the Jews was necessary to achieve superiority and become a racially pure nation through propaganda, the Nazis were able to shape the German opinion against the Jews. This was what ultimately began the infamous Holocaust, a period of torture and tragedy for the Jews, which led millions to their death (The “Final Solution”). Without the use of propaganda, society as a whole would not have had these beliefs and the Holocaust could have been avoided.
In World War II, the Nazis created their propaganda to exploiting their fears, generating anti-Semitism, and encouraging acceptance of their methods, thus leading them down a dangerous path and into World War II. By telling the people what they needed to hear for the security of their situations, Hitler was able to win the votes necessary to take complete control over Germany. While there are many possible causes to the Second World War, if it was not for propaganda manipulating the German people into giving Hitler his power, World War II could have been less extreme or even avoided.