However, this meant that Goebbels had to work with the SS, Gestapo and Albert Speer. The latter helped Goebbels with public displays of propaganda while the former hunted out those who could print or publish items defamatory and against the Nazis or Hitler. This meant that the German public could only read, hear and see what Hitler and the Nazis wanted them to read, hear and see. This was the manner in which he controlled their views and opinions.
“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
Nazis made great use of visual arts to influence German attitudes. Newspapers in Germany, mainly Der Stuermer (The Attacker), printed cartoons that used anti-Semitic caricatures to depict Jews as an inferior race. Journalists were also told what to write in newspapers.
Broadcasters were told what to say on radio and because Hitler gave many speeches on the radio, the Nazis made sure radios were so cheap that every German had one. In Germany the broadcasters also used popular and traditional songs to reinforce the sense of national pride. The Germans also used the radio to broadcast propaganda to Britain, in the English language, in an effort to make the British people more favourable to the Nazi cause.
Books that taught or went against the Nazi ideals were burnt in public. The Nazi censors also burned the books of Helen Keller, who had overcome her deafness and blindness to become a respected writer; told of the book burnings, she responded: "Tyranny cannot defeat the power of ideas."
.In addition all plays and literature had to conform to Nazi belief and ideals, otherwise they were not published, performed or shown. Film was a medium the Germans used very effectively for propaganda purposes. The Nazis made sure that they controlled the film industry; they decided what films were produced and released. The films released to the German public usually focused on certain areas. Such as: the Jews – portraying them as vermin; sub-human and unworthy of life, the greatness of Hitler, the way of life for a true Nazi especially the children. Leni Riefenstahl was a woman Hitler had a great respect for and she was given a free hand to produce Nazi propaganda films.
At no time up to 1933, did the Nazi party win an election by a majority of votes. They therefore, needed to convince those who opposed them that they were the better party and that there really was no other choice. While informing and strengthening the faith of those who support them that they did pick the right party, the Nazis did this fairly successfully.
As soon as word of Nazi genocide spread to Allied nations, the Nazis used propaganda for a very different reason: to cover up atrocities. The Nazis started forcing prisoners to send postcards home, stating that they were treated well and living in good conditions.
On , , the Nazis permitted an International Red Cross team to inspect the in the former Czechoslovakia. They did this to dispel rumours about the of the Jew’s. In reality, Theresienstadt was a transit camp for Jews en route to . In preparation for the visit, the ghetto underwent a beautification program. In the wake of the inspection, the Nazis produced a film using ghetto residents to show the treatment Jews supposedly received in Theresienstadt. It showed how well the Jews lived under the "benevolent" protection of the . When the film was completed, almost the entire "cast" was deported to the extermination camp.
The best propaganda coup for Hitler probably happened in 1936. This occurred when the Olympic Games were held in Berlin, Germany. The German’s had a brand new stadium built which showed off the excellence of the German facilities. Not only the Germans showcase their wonderful technologies such as brand speakers, they also showed off the efficiency of their organization. However, the negative sides of Germanys Nazism were hidden or rather kept in the dark. Hitler, masterfully, kept it secret the atrocities that took place in the ghettos and concentration camps. Hitler was very happy and took great pride in the German team who won 33 gold medals, 26 silver and 30 bronze. This was way more than any other team that participated in the Olympic activities.
Hitler was very displeased, upset and angry about the wonderful performance of Jesse Owens. He was an American athlete, who took part in and came out triumphant in the 100-meter dash, the 200-meter dash and the broad jump. He was also a key member of the 400-meter relay team that won the Gold Medal. In all but one of these events Jesse set Olympic records. Jesse was the first American in the history of Olympic Track and Field to win four gold medals in a single Olympics. Jesse was black and so inferior according to Nazi racial theories, yet he was the star of the Olympic Games. He won 4 four gold medals also breaking eleven world records.
Hitler, obviously, refused and wouldn’t shake hands with a man who was not only Black but also in excellent physical condition, showing and proving to the Nazi racial theory to be complete nonsense.
German propaganda was extremely important to the course of World War II. By taking control of the media and only printing or broadcasting Nazi material, the Reich was able to effectively flood Germany with its propaganda. This, combined with the genius of men like Joseph Goebbels, created one of the most potent barrages of wartime propaganda in history.