why it was necessary for the Nazis to use propagnanda?

Answer 1

to get support - most politicians do it, but the Nazis really exposed people to it as much as possible, as Hitler believed people were stupid (basically). In Mein Kampf, he wrote:

"the receptive powers of the masses are very restricted and their understanding is feeble. On the other hand, they quickly forget. Such being the case, all effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare essentials and those must be expressed as far as possible in stereotyped formulas. These slogans should be persistently repeated until the very last individual has come to grasp the idea that has been put forward"

Hitler understood the importance of propaganda, and how it could be use to almost brainwash people. By desensitising the public to horrific images and stereotyping, the Nazis could rationalise anything they did. They also glorified things to appeal to people's nationalism and patriotism.

this was very successful in their first few years (when Nazis coming to power) as all the extravagant displays were impressive against the poverty of post world-war-one Germany (hit strongest by the Wall Street Crash). Goebbels was head of propaganda and very skillful at his job.

However, less people were convinced by later propaganda as the Nazis were trying to change people's opinions and way of thinking - this was hard to do in practise. Not everyone was convinced.


http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/ < this site is very good - has lots of useful examples of propaganda

Answer 2

It's not just the Nazis who use it. Everyone who has a viewpoint and wants to sell it to the masses uses propaganda. Look at Rush Limbaugh, or Ann Coulter, or the Clintons.

However, the Nazis HAD to use it for misdirection: people who hear of the atrocities have to be distracted and the atrocity forgotten. Hence, the deluge of propaganda. When bombarded with messages people tend to forget the older memories.

Answer 3

Read "The Devil's Disciples: Hitler's Inner Circle" by Anthony Read for an excellent study of Joseph Goebbels who ran the propaganda machine in Nazi Germany. Propaganda became a fundamental pillar of fascism destroying opposition, mobilising the masses and building enthusiasm for the ultimately self destructive policies of war, genocide and dictatorship.

Answer 4

Propaganda was continuously used to maintain the political and social steam roller moving over in Germany. The propaganda designed was very influential in establishing the mindset of the common German citizen. There was even a rarely known Disney animated short which describes the propaganda machine realted to the youth of the country (The Education for Death - 1943). The most widely known propaganda device was "Triumph of the Will" by Leni Riefenstahl, released in 1935.

Answer 5

After the world war one (in which the germans took part in awar they had no buissness in ) they were in great poverty.Alot of the jewish neighborhoods we're florishing doing nothing wrong.The powers that be who were arayan germans needed a scapegoat and appointed hitler to be in chagre of the Nazi's. they needed all germans to feel like the nazi's to really carry out the holacaust with sucess.So the propaganda was used to conviced the germans what terribale people the jews were and that they didn't decerve all that wealth.

Answer 6

Yes, because they had to win over people's minds first then their lives. To the Nazi's there was just one side to everything, their own.

Answer 7

to influence public opinion. to make the public do what the nazi wanted.

you have to remember that this was 70 years ago. no TV, no internet, communications were primitive. the public could be easily influenced.

Answer 8

It's a pillar of all dictatorships - influencing/controlling the minds of the masses.

Answer 9

Because only a few thought it was good thing and they wanted others to believe it was a good thing, too.

Answer 10

How else can you convince the people of the horrible things that will be done for them.