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Propaganda and Censorship
Censorship is the control or suppression of information, ideas, or expressions by a government or authority.


 Overview: Why the Nazis Controlled Media and Culture
  • Main goals:
    • Promote Nazi ideology (e.g., Aryan superiority, loyalty to Hitler, anti-Semitism).
    • Control public opinion and suppress opposition.
    • Create a unified, obedient society (Volksgemeinschaft).
  • Joseph Goebbels: Minister of Propaganda (Reich Minister of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda) from 1933.

 Books
  • Censorship:
    • Non-Nazi or "un-German" books banned (Jewish, communist, liberal authors).
    • Strict control over what could be published.
  • Book burnings:
    • 10 May 1933: Nazi students held public burnings of banned books (e.g., by Einstein, Freud, Remarque).
    • Aimed to cleanse German culture of "degenerate" ideas.
  • Promotion of Nazi literature:
    • Books glorifying war, the Führer, and racial ideology were mass produced and distributed.

Art and Sculpture
  • "Degenerate Art" banned:
    • Modern, abstract, or non-representational art was outlawed (e.g., expressionism, Dada).
    • Artists like Kandinsky and Picasso rejected.
  • Nazi-approved art:
    • Classical, realistic styles showing idealized Aryan families, soldiers, farmers, and Hitler.
    • Promoted Nazi values: strength, motherhood, racial purity.
  • Great German Art Exhibition: Displayed approved works in contrast to the "Degenerate Art Exhibition."
  • Sculpture:
    • Monumental, muscular figures symbolizing Aryan perfection and power.

Newspapers
  • Nazi control:
    • Independent newspapers shut down or taken over.
    • By 1939, two-thirds of newspapers were run by the Nazi party or Goebbels’ ministry.
  • Content:
    • Carefully censored and filled with Nazi propaganda.
    • Spread anti-Semitic messages and Hitler’s speeches.
  • People's perception: Many read them, but trust declined as they became predictable and one-sided.

Cinema
  • Entertainment + propaganda:
    • Goebbels believed film should entertain but also subtly promote Nazi ideas.
    • All scripts and content had to be approved.
  • Newsreels:
    • Mandatory in all cinemas before feature films.
    • Showed Nazi rallies, speeches, military victories.
  • Propaganda films:
    • Triumph of the Will (1935) by Leni Riefenstahl glorified the Nuremberg Rally.
    • The Eternal Jew (1940) – deeply anti-Semitic.

Music
  • Banned music:
    • Jazz and swing seen as “degenerate” and “black” music.
    • Music by Jewish composers like Mendelssohn banned.
  • Promoted music:
    • Traditional German folk songs.
    • Classical music by German composers like Wagner (favored by Hitler).

Posters
  • Massive use of visual propaganda:
    • Simple, bold, and emotional.
    • Promoted Nazi values: anti-Semitism, Hitler worship, military strength, unity.
  • Target audience:
    • Easily understood by all Germans, even children or those who couldn’t read.

Radio
  • The "People’s Receiver" (Volksempfänger):
    • Cheap radios made widely available — 70% of households owned one by 1939.
    • Limited range: could only receive Nazi stations.
  • Content:
    • Hitler’s speeches broadcast regularly.
    • Constant stream of Nazi-approved music, news, and ideology.
  • Public broadcasting:
    • Speakers set up in workplaces, schools, and streets so everyone could hear.
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