Notes

How Hitler Came to Power by Using Nazi Propaganda & Mass Media

IGCSE History













How did hitler use the Great Depression as well as propaganda to become so powerful? Propaganda is the act of advertising false information in a persuading way.
When Hindenburg died, of supposedly natural causes, Hitler automatically became leader of Germany. But he worked his way up to become leader, gain power, and get his word out by using Nazi propaganda. The Nazi’s were members of the National Socialist German workers’ and the only party at the time. The Nazi’s were determined to convince the people of Germany that with them as Government everything would become better. Adolf Hitler is known to be the most evil person in world history. Hitler used the great depression up to his advantage because since the German people thought they had hit rock bottom due to economic problems, and low employment percentage after taking war guilt for World War 2. He came along promising people a better life and future since he’d give more jobs and pledged to be in peace with France, Russia, and Great Britain (enemies of World War 1) with him as a leader and started becoming hero-like to German people since he was their only hope, little did they know what him and his soldiers, the Nazi’s along with their secret police the Gestapo were up to.
Things for Germany were awful at the time. The Great Depression was a horrible world wide economic depression during the time of World War 2. It started during the 1930’s and went all through out about the 1940’s. The effects of the Great Depression were devastating whether you were rich or poor. Unemployment in other countries reached as high as 33%. It was indeed the deepest, longest, and certainly most widespread depression of the 20th century. Hindenburg didn’t seem to do much to help Germany out of this economic crisis so when the Nazi’s came along all they saw was good in them since they thought it’d lead to a better government/country and more jobs for everyone.
Moreover, Josef Goebbels took a large role in Nazi propaganda, in fact, he was the one in charge of it & also the minister for public enlightenment at the time. Goebbels would ensure that nobody could hear, read, or see anything that was damaging the Nazi Party. To ensure that, Goebbels along with the S.S., (“schutzstaffel,” German for “protection squad” who protected Hitler) created the “Reich Chamber of Commerce” in 1933, this was an organization about literature, art, music, film, and newspaper. In order to produce any of the following you were required to be a member of the “Reich Chamber of Commerce” and any kind of disobedience lead to punishments by the Gestapo. There could only be good things displayed about the Nazi Party, if anyone tried to express negative comments about it severe punishments like even death were given. The Gestapo’s job was also to make sure that the German people saw nothing but positive things about the Nazi’s. Albert Speer, Hitler’s chief architect for part of World war 2, helped out Goebbels with public displays of propaganda for example, mass rallies were created. Mass rallies were held in Nuremburg, Germany on a special stage they discussed about how discipline, order, and power were important factors. Special Nazi uniforms were worn, banners and torch lights were also displayed, German people often became very emotional during these rallies. The Nuremburg Laws were two laws that kept any Jews from a good German life as well as taking away some of their natural rights. These Laws were first introduced at the annual Nazi Mass Rallies in Nuremburg in 1935.
Furthermore, Hitler’s aim and reason for this was to convince the German people that the Nazi party was the right step for Germany to take. Since elections were right around the corner he wanted to become leader of Germany. He wanted to get his word out there, gain power, publicity, and even be worshipped. The Nazi’s were really up to no good as you can tell, but you really can’t blame people for believing them since Germany was already doing terrible they figured it couldn’t get any worse. By fake advertising and brainwashing the genuine German people, he quickly got his way and became leader of Germany. I find it very interesting how Germany went from bad, to worse and the Nazi party took over in just a short matter of time. The German people realized too late that they burned down their bridges as soon as Hitler along with the Nazi’s came to power because they just lied about making it a better country.
In addition, Hitler and the Nazi’s hated Jews, homosexuals, mentally unstable, prostitutes and gypsies. When he came to power he created concentration camps where he sent any of the following to be killed. It’s quite peculiar how Nazi’s frowned upon homosexuals and claimed to hate when the majority of them including Hitler were homosexual themselves. Homosexuals were prosecuted by the Gestapo and sent to concentration camps to be killed. At the camps they were designated by a pink Swastika (German Nazi symbol) badge that represented it. An estimated of 100,000 men were arrested as homosexuals, from those about 50,000 were officially sentenced.
When Hitler came to power he began to create the concentration camps which were in other words, death camps with the help of the S.S. to kill jews, homosexuals, non-aryans, prostitutes, gypsies ect. Jew’s who owned businesses were incredibly affected because the Nazi’s would burn down their place and the person who rented that place to them was fully aware it was the Nazi’s who did it but would make the jews pay anyway. They did this so that way they had no choice but to go to the concentration camp where they thought they’d be fine. Concentration camps were advertised as a place where Jew families would be safe and have a safer life, on the contrary these horrendous camps were fairly small with a large amount of people in it, barbed wired with Nazi guards everywhere so there was so way out, the people in there were starved, beaten, and treated awful. Schools were now for single sex’s, boys and girls were being taught completely different things. Most school lessons were just based on Nazi ideas. Girls were expected grow up to be housewifes, men were forced to go into labour service at the age of 18 and over, and also join the German army for 2 years.
Further, Nazi Propaganda is basically what lead to World war 2 as well as the Holocaust. The Holocaust was the mass murder of Jews under Hitler’s orders in Concentration camps such as ‘Auschwitz’ (the concentration camp that killed the most Jews), Dachau, and Belsen. It is truly safe to say that the Holocaust was no accident, it occurred due to individuals, organizations, and governments like the Nazi Party that did nothing but enforce discrimination such as prejudice, hatred, and mass murders.
As you can tell, Hitler used Nazi propaganda and mass media up to his advantage and lead Germany to more than a series of unfortunate events. If you put yourself in the shoes of the German people, Hitler becoming leader would seem like a perfect and easy way out of all this trouble. They hated Hindenburg and blamed Germany’s terrible crisis and all they’re going through on him. Germany was a completely pitiful country from the years of 1934 to 1945.
Adolf Hitler committed suicide by a gunshot on April 30, 1945 in Berlin. A man named “Goring” sent Hitler a telegraph asking for permission to take his position as leadership of the Reich and was successful. The reconstruction of Germany was a very long and difficult process. After World War 2 nearly 7.5 million Germans were killed, about 11% of the population. A majority of the cities were heavily damaged due to all the bombs and destruction during war.
In conclusion, Hitler went through the process of getting his word out there and winning over the German people with help of the S.S., the Gestapo, Josef Goebbels, ect. by using Nazi propaganda, and promising a better future for Germany. However, instead of taking Germany out of the dark hole they were in, Hitler made it 10 times harder to escape from it. His public displays of propaganda like newspapers, radio, mass rallies and convincing speaches were successful and he got what he desired which was more publicity, admiration, dictatorship, power, and to get his word out there. People really had no choice but to worship him or at least pretend to unless they wanted to be executed and killed by being sent to the concentration camps. Germany was even worse than it was during the Great Depression and with Hindenburg as president. Mass media and Nazi propaganda were incredibly important to Hitler since it is what lead to his authority/dictatorship and of course all these awful events.







Bibliography:
Source 1: www.johndclare.net/nazi_germany2_BBCnotes.htm “How did the lives of people change in Nazi Germany?”
Source 2: www.theholocaustexplained.org “How did the Nazi’s use propaganda?”
Source 3: www.historylearningsite.co.uk/ “Propaganda in Nazi Germany”
Source 4: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/nazi_propaganda “Nazi Propaganda”
Source 5: ‘Why was propaganda so important to the Nazi’s?’ (packet) Pages: 110, 111, & 112.
Source 6: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/timeline/death.htm “The death of Hitler”
Source 7: http://www.historyplace.com/worldwar2/riseofhitler/dictator.htm “Hitler becomes dictator”