Furthermore, it was the idea of Hitler as a demigod figure, personified by Goebbels’ concept of the Hitler Myth which meant that propaganda was in fact an effective way to appeal to the hearts and minds of many who in Hitler’s view, lacked a leader or figurehead. Propaganda used to promote the Hitler myth was in fact quite emotive and conveyed an image of a strong leader who would guide Germany through this period of depression. Obviously, this image appealed greatly to Germans, especially with conservative élites who missed the lost authoritarian ways of Imperialist Germany. Examples of Propaganda to strengthen this image of Hitler include a series of ‘Slide-show evenings’ in 1939 at which photographs of Hitler and his successes were played to packed houses – it was estimated that the total attendance was over 4.3 million, excluding shows in schools.
Conversely, there was some occasional deviation from the successes of propaganda. There were occurrences when anti-semetic propaganda proved to shock rather than inspire the German public. For example, the film released in 1940 entitled “Der ewige Jude” or “The Eternal Jew” was a commercial flop. Although it was viewed by party supporters and Hitler youth members, paid admissions barely reached 1 million at a time when the German population was close to 70 million. There were also claims that people left movie theatres feeling physically sick and appalled at what had been shown to them.
This notwithstanding, many other films out of the thousands produced in the Third Reich were very effective in conveying the Nazi message. A similar film released just a few months previously entitled “Jud Süß” was an international success. Winning a top prize at the Venice film festival of 1940, it differed from other anti-semetic films in that it had an interesting plot line which barley the underlying message of anti-Semitism. It was this need to get the German people interested in Nazi ideology which moulded and changed the style of propaganda as time went on. The success of Jud Süß, for example, selling 20 million tickets, is testament to how exciting propaganda was able to be used effectively in Nazi Germany.
On the other hand, as the war drew on, the effectiveness of propaganda deteriorated as news that trickled back from the front conflicted with that of what was being told through state controlled newspapers and poster campaigns. Expectations of success were raised too high and too quickly, which in turn required explanations of they weren’t fulfilled, which as the war progressed, became more and more often. The increased mistrust in the information they were receiving blunted the effectiveness of propaganda and thus, it can be argued in the later years, that propaganda became both crude and boring.
To conclude, the overwhelming amount of success enjoyed by the Nazi party up until the beginning of the war on a domestic level can be largely attributed to the work of Goebbels and his Ministry of Propaganda. Although there are some slight anomalies, particularly after Germany’s declaration of war on the USSR, on the whole to describe most Nazi propaganda as boring, crude and ineffective is a gross exaggeration.
by
stefanocattaneo (student)
