Hitler

Lauren Klausner History 66 11-19-01 Chapter 13 Source # 1) "Hitler on the Nature and Purpose of Propaganda" This passage was taken from the "Mein Kampf," a book that Hitler wrote during his imprisonment from 1923 to 1924. In this section of the book Hitler is discussing how and why he uses propaganda to sway the views of the people. Hitler believes that the function of propaganda is to attract the majorities "attention to certain facts, processes, necessities, ect., whose significance is thus for the first time placed within their field of vision,"(pg. 374). Of course though you would use the facts and processes that only helped your view, and leave any other important information out of the picture.

Hitler goes on to speak of how they use propaganda. Propaganda is not used to educate people on any subject, but simply to attract the attention of the crowd. Because of this you have to adjust propaganda to fit your audience.

Adolf Hitler and Benito Mussolini in Munich, Germa...

Mussolini (left) and Hitler sent their armies to N...

Adolf Hitler in Yugoslavia.

If you want your audience to be the masses, like Hitler, then you would have to maintain the intelligent level fairly low. If you tried to make things to complicated people would loose interest to quickly and not take time to figure out what the posters or song means. " The art of propaganda lies in understand thing emotional ideas of the great masses and finding, through a psychologically correct form, the way to get the attention and thence to the heart of the broad masses,"(pg. 374). If you tried to make anything such as a slogan to complicated the whole idea would simply get lost.

Source # 10) Poster: "National Socialism: The Organized Will of the People," 1932.

This poster is the work of a skilled propaganda artist, "Mjolnir." On the top of the poster it says in German, "National Socialism." In the background you can see a big black swastika, and in front of the swastika you see three male soldiers. The three soldiers all have very serious faces with no expression. They look like they could possibly be possessed. I think this is trying to show unity. The three men all look a like and they look like they are all very serious about what they are doing. After World War One Germany felt they needed to unite as a country. I think this poster is trying to appeal to that aspect of the people. Although this is a long time after WWI the country still hadn't fully come together. This poster is telling the people, go with the "Organized Will of the People," and be like us! Source # 12) "The Horst Wessel Song" ca. 1930 Hitler also used music as a form of propaganda to win support and the song in source number 12 is a good example of this. This type of propaganda could be used especially aimed toward children and young adults. The songs were very catchy, but in no way were they thoughtful. "The swastika gives hope to millions. The day of freedom and bread is breaking,"(pg. 382). This is the last two lines of the short catchy tune. Not only did they rhyme to make it easier for people to remember, but they also short. If a song like this got caught in somebody's head it would be very hard for them to forget it.

According to Bullock, Hitler was an opportunistic ...

English: Dust jacket of the book Mein Kampf, writt...

Ernst Jünger in between David Lloyd George and Ad...