The most important reason why there was so little opposition to Hitler was due to propaganda. How far do you agree with this statement?
Zoë Papadopoulos
You'll have your hands full from now on. I just can't
accept that now people will be in peril of their lives
because of other people. I can't accept it and I find it
horrifying. Never tell me that it's for the sake of Fatherland. -Sophie Scholl
The Nazis faced relatively little open opposition during their 12 years in power. In private, Germans complained about the regime and its actions, although not all. Some might refuse to give the Nazi salute; they might pass on anti-Nazi jokes and rude stories about senior Nazis. However, serious criticism was always in private, never in public. Historians have debated why this was so. There were many contributions to why they kept quiet, whether it was fear, propaganda or admiration for Hitler or a mixture of all three.
Propaganda is information that is spread for the purpose of promoting some cause. Underlying the whole regime was the propaganda machine. This ensured that many Germans found out very little about the bad things that were happening, or if they did it was from a pro-Nazi perspective. Propaganda was important in maintaining Hitler’s perfect image. Propaganda took many forms, through film, posters, slogans and education. If they were able to post millions of posters around Germany, with the effect of film and education as well, people will see it so much they will begin to believe it. They were indoctrinating young people through education, adults through posters and films. All was good; they got their support and long awaited control. Children were expected to join Nazi youth organisations. The Hitler Youth and League of German Maidens prepared boys for war and girls for motherhood; they also promoted Nazi behaviour and gave them control over the youth. Education was also important to the Nazis and lessons were all geared towards making the boys good soldiers and the girl’s good mothers. Lessons were used to pass on ideas about war and about racial superiority. Maths problems made the children calculate bombing ranges and the cost of keeping the mentally ill alive. Biology and History lessons were used to say that Germans were better than any other nation, but it was particularly important because this was a way of making future generations into Nazi supporters. The media was also controlled by Josef Goebbels, who was a main disputer of the propaganda. Loudspeakers were set up in public places to broadcast Hitler's speeches. He controlled the press and decided what photographs should be printed, he arranged for posters to be put up, and he made sure Hitler's speeches were broadcast on the radio. It was also Goebbels who planned the big party rallies and publicised everything Hitler did.
