Joseph Goebbels was very significant in terms of controlling people in Germany from 1933 to 1945. He used various techniques to do that. Controlling media sources was the main focus to spread propaganda. Radio, newspapers, films and all other kinds of media was a way of convincing German people that the Aryan Race was the greatest. Goebbels needed to make sure that people of Germany were only learning Nazi ideology. However, he wasn’t significant in control of German people to the higher point, because Hitler was the most important Nazi in Germany as he was the dictator.
Joseph Goebbels joined NSDAP. Goebbels got into the NSDAP mostly because being faithful to Hitler’s beliefs. Propaganda – saying to others that your ‘storytelling’ is correct. “Propaganda might take the form of persuading others that your military might is too great to be challenged; that your political might within a nation is too great or popular to challenge etc.” - www.historylearningsite.co.uk In Nazi Germany, Dr Joseph Goebbels was in charge of propaganda. He was the Minister of Enlightenment and his job was to:
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Make sure that nobody in Germany could read or see anything that was hostile or damaging to the Nazi Party. To make sure that everybody thought in the correct manner, all foreign literature and any other types of media was banned.
Make sure that the views of the Nazis were put across in the most persuasive manner possible. People had to be loyal to the Nazi regime.
Reich Chamber of Commerce was set up in 1933. This organisation was dealing with literature, art, music, radio, film, newspapers etc. To make and produce anything that was in these groups, you had to be a member of the Reich Chamber. The Nazi Party decided if you could be a member. Any person who was not accepted was not allowed to get any work published or performed. As a result of this, Nazi Germany introduced the system of censorship. You could only read, see and hear what the Nazis wanted you to know about. In that way, Nazis thought, that if you believed what you were told, their leaders logically assumed that opposition to their rule would be very small and insufficient.
Also, Joseph Goebbels was the Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. Goebbels presented Hitler to people in the most supportive way, censoring media and building anti-Semitism. Jewish artists, actors/actresses, musicians, etc. were forced to go unemployed because of Goebbels. He hosted burning of books that were considered ”un-German.” Every Nazi project was in favour of completing. His (Goebbels) job was to censor all opposition to Hitler and present the chancellor and the Nazi Party in the most positive light. He founded “Der Angriff” paper and used this to pass on his messages and ideas of to the nation as part of his propaganda. Goebbels said that Hitler was the one to inspire everyone, give them hope and that he would bring everybody forward. He described his feelings for the Fuhrer as “incredible and truthful.” Therefore Goebbels had in Hitler the ideal type of inspiration to the population. Hitler and Goebbels both had much in common even though they had differences of characters. “Either the enemy walks over our dead bodies or we over his?” It was their differences rather than their similarities that enabled them to further each other’s progress. Hitler was intuitive rather than intelligent and Goebbels was smart, this had a massive influence on the development of his characters. They both obtained unlimited power over a nation and country. Without Goebbels, Hitler would never have gained total power. He created the Hitler myth and “...offered the masses the saviour for when they yearned, endeavoured with the grace of God...” said Victor Reinmann. Towards the end of the war they could not exist without each other, as they strengthened and helped each other. Hitler was hard-working, had complexed visions and had an elated relationship with the masses. Goebbels used techniques like persuasion, slogans, myths, texts and images.
By Hitler’s invite, Goebbels spoke at party meetings in Munich and at the annual Party Congress, held in Weimar in 1926. For the following year's event, Goebbels was involved in the planning and organisation for the first time. Receiving praise for achieving success led Goebbels to shape his political ideas to match Hitler's, and to add, idolise him even more. Goebbels practised his public speaking skills. Meetings were anticipated by ceremonial marches and singing, the venues were decorated with party banners. His entrance was timed for maximum emotional impact. Goebbels usually nervously planned his speeches ahead of time, furthermore, he was able to adapt his presentation to make a good connection with his audience. He tried to bring the attention of nation to speeches by using “special effects”, which were fireworks, marches, music from loudspeakers, etc. Goebbels produced his ‘Ten Commandments for National Socialists’. These were to boost in confidence his approaches to propaganda. His ‘Ten Commandments for National Socialists’ were:
- “Your Fatherland is called Germany. Love it above all and more through action than through words.” - You need to show love to Germany not by words, but by actions.
- “Germany’s enemies are your enemies. Hate them with your whole heart.” - Anyone who is not Aryan, must be killed.
- “Every national comrade, even the poorest, is a piece of Germany. Love him as yourself.” - Every Aryan around you is your brother or sister, give anything you can to them.
- “Demand only duties for yourself. Then Germany will get justice.” - Show how hard can you work for Germany, only then justice might be achieved.
- “Be proud of Germany. You ought to be proud of a Fatherland for which millions have sacrificed their lives.” - You must be not scared to give your life away for Deutschland (Germany).
- “He who abuses Germany, abuses you. Strike your fist against him.” - Defend Germany as your own family, house.
- “Hit a rogue more than once. When one takes away your good rights, remember that you can only fight him physically.” - Fight for YOUR rights, no matter what!
- “Don’t be an anti-Semitic knave. But be careful of the ‘Berliner Tageblatt’.” - Show hatred towards the Jewish people.
- “Make your actions that you need no blush when the New Germany is mentioned.” - Protect Nazi regime and prove to everyone that there is no New Germany.
- “Believe in the future. Only then can you be the victor.” - Prepare for tomorrow. Only by then you can be victorious.
Joseph Goebbels was never restrained in anything by moral code. He used his position within the Nazi Party to dominate the media. Hitler’s ‘gleichschaltung’ policy – uniting everyone in Nazism behind Hitler. It was Goebbels idea to ensure that loudspeakers were turned on in streets to make sure that the people could hear Hitler’s thoughts. This was constructed into a plan that allowed Germans to buy a cheap radio. Goebbels believed that if the Fuhrer had something to say then the people as a whole had to have the ability to hear it. Nonetheless, after purchasing a radio, each family had to pay 2 Marks a month for a license. During World War Two listening to foreign broadcasts such as the BBC World Service was vetoed.
Goebbels very quickly became the voice of the Nazi regime for the German people. Basically, his job was to brainwash the minds of German people with Nazi regime to the highest point. After the Nazis gained power, Goebbels took control of the national propaganda machinery. “The era of extreme Jewish intellectualism is at an end,” Goebbels proudly told the crowd. Before that, a boycott of Jewish businesses were placed by Joseph Goebbels. To be sure, Goebbels’s control of foreign propaganda, the press, theatre, and literature was limited—controlled only in small amounts with other official persona—little interest was shown in regulating music and art. During his work he wrote frequent tutorials that were published in “Das Reich” which were later read aloud over the radio. He found films to be his most effective propaganda method, after radio. Half the films made during WW2 in wartime Germany were propaganda films (mostly on antisemitism) and war propaganda films (showing Wehrmacht in the positive light and “storytelling” about previous wars).
Joseph Goebbels used two methods of controlling German people: Terror and Propaganda. Terror was divided into Gestapo, The police and law courts, The SS and Concentration camps. At the same moment, propaganda was fully controlled by Goebbels. Everything was done to present Hitler as a God. To show that Nazi was the race above anyone. Information and ideas about Nazi government were spread around, showing that supporting Nazis was the right way.
Joseph Goebbels did not deny the facts of the upcoming fail. On the contrary, the main idea of his propaganda was to increase motivation by looking on everything from the bright side and making it look like plans are going better than they actually were. Public appearances, compared to those of many “loyal” Nazis who ran into bunkers, did a decent improvement to an image which before that was incredibly pessimistic. In the end of the war, Goebbels' speeches and articles gained extremely contradictory tone. At the start of 1945, he said that defeat was right around the corner. There was no opportunity to save Berlin, because everything was sent to the front. He quickly discussed making peace with the allies in conversation with Hitler. Goebbels did not want Hitler to lose his confidence and, eventually, worsen relations between them.
As to conclude all information above, Joseph Goebbels was not entirely significant in Germany at that time. He believed that “Nazional-Socialism” and dictatorship was a perfect way of ruling the country, it turned out that it was a complete failure. If Goebbels would have decided not to commit suicide with Hitler, his further significance would be a disaster, because without Hitler, Nazism would have been absolutely nothing.
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