Propaganda in indoctrinating Nazi ideals Essay

The Nazi propaganda after the consolidation of power featured many of the common characteristics associated with totalitarian propaganda; Twisted truths, stereotypical and distorted pictures of populace groups, simple messages repeated frequently and the use of a common enemy as a scapegoat. Also the Nazi propaganda featured many new methods of indoctrination, such as the mass rally meetings and the extensive radio propaganda. But how successful where these ways in conveying and convincing people of Nazi ideals? That is the question which I plan to investigate in my essay. The propaganda campaign launched by the Nazi government was headed by the brilliant orator Joseph Goebbels which was put as Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda where he coordinated the seven different departments: administration and organization, propaganda, radio, press, films, theatre, and adult education. From the department Goebbels controlled all aspects of Nazi propaganda, and since he was such a skilful propagandist almost all parts of the propaganda campaign, especially the radio, became huge successes. Of all the medias available to Goebbels his unquestionable favourite was the radio- the peoples receiver. Goebbels wanted to ensure that every home in Germany was equipped with a â€Å"Volksempfà ¤nger† from which they could listen to propaganda at all times of day. Prices where slashed and in the late 1930 the Germans could boast having the cheapest radios in the world. Radios where even put up in working places and public areas to ensure a maximal amount of listeners. And due to the large effort put into the campaign it became one of the most successful, by 1940 16 million households in Germany listened to Nazi Propaganda via the radio. Another effective way of supplying propaganda to the German people, was ,in theory, by the use of the censored press. In the beginning the press remained relatively unchanged, propaganda message where inserted in some magazine and papers, but most of the press friendly towards the regime remained unchanged, at least in the beginning. Soon Nazis propaganda was found in every page in every paper and by 1945 the Nazis ran 82% of all the newspapers in print.