Nazi Propaganda and Control

This section explores Nazi propaganda and control. By August 1934, Adolf Hitler had established himself as a dictator with absolute power in Germany. To maintain control, he needed an extensive system of surveillance, intimidation, and propaganda to ensure that every German citizen remained loyal to the Führer and that opposition was crushed immediately.

This was achieved through a combination of:

• A ruthless police state that used spying, imprisonment, and violence.
• A manipulated legal system that served Nazi interests.
• A powerful propaganda machine, led by Joseph Goebbels, that dominated all aspects of German life.
• Strict control over culture and the arts, ensuring that all creative expression glorified the Nazi ideology.

The Nazi Police State

Once in power, the Nazis built a police state to ensure that any potential resistance was swiftly eliminated. After the Night of the Long Knives (June 1934), which saw the elimination of Hitler’s rivals within the Nazi Party, three major interlinked organisations emerged to control the German population:

The Schutzstaffel (SS) – The Nazi Elite Force

• The SS (Schutzstaffel), led by Heinrich Himmler, was originally formed as Hitler’s personal bodyguard unit but grew into the most powerful organisation in Nazi Germany.
• The SS was fanatically loyal to Hitler and controlled all police forces.
• It established and ran concentration camps, where ‘enemies of the state’—including Jews, political opponents, and other persecuted groups—were imprisoned, tortured, and murdered.

The Gestapo – The Secret Police

• The Gestapo (Geheime Staatspolizei) was the Nazi secret police, responsible for detecting and suppressing opposition.
• Ordinary citizens were encouraged to inform on neighbours, friends, and even family members.
• The Gestapo operated with almost unlimited power, arresting people without trial and sending them to concentration camps.

The Sicherheitsdienst (SD) – The Nazi Intelligence Agency

• The SD (Sicherheitsdienst) was the intelligence branch of the SS, responsible for monitoring threats to the regime.
• Led by Reinhard Heydrich, it gathered information on potential enemies both within and outside Germany.

Revision Tip: Mnemonic to Remember the Nazi Police State

• Himmler’s – Head of the police state
• Sight – The SS
• Gradually – The Gestapo
• Spreads – The SD

Nazi Control of the Legal System

The Nazis transformed the German legal system to ensure that all laws benefited the Nazi regime. The principle of justice and fairness was completely replaced with Nazi ideology:

• Judges were forced to swear an oath of loyalty to Hitler and were expected to always rule in favour of the Nazi state.
• All lawyers had to join the Nazi Lawyers’ Association, ensuring that they followed Nazi laws.
• Defence lawyers were restricted, making it harder for those accused to argue their cases.
• Standard punishments were abolished, allowing Nazi officials to impose harsher sentences on political opponents.

Increase in Death Penalties and Imprisonment

• Between 1933 and 1939, the number of criminal offences in Germany more than halved.
• However, the number of crimes punishable by death increased from three to 46, including:
  • Listening to foreign radio stations.
  • Telling anti-Nazi jokes.
  • Publishing anti-Nazi material.
• Many prisoners were not released at the end of their sentences but were instead sent to concentration camps under SS control.

Goebbels and the Ministry of Propaganda

Hitler and the Nazi Party ensured their presence was felt in every aspect of daily life, with:

• The swastika symbol appearing on every government uniform and public building.
• Posters and portraits of Hitler displayed in homes, schools, and workplaces.
• Germans being required to greet each other with ‘Heil Hitler’, accompanied by the Nazi salute.

Methods of Propaganda

The Ministry of Enlightenment and Propaganda, led by Joseph Goebbels, used various methods to indoctrinate the German people:

Control of the Press

• All newspapers were censored and could only publish pro-Nazi stories.
• Anti-Nazi newspapers were shut down, with journalists forced to join the Reich Press Chamber.

Radio as a Propaganda Tool

• Radios were sold cheaply so that almost every German household owned one.
• All radio broadcasts were controlled by the Nazi Reich Broadcasting Corporation.
• Foreign stations were banned, with penalties for listening to the BBC or other enemy broadcasts.

Mass Rallies and Public Displays

• Nuremberg Rallies—huge annual gatherings with marching, speeches, and military displays—were designed to glorify Hitler.
• Parades, flags, and music created a sense of excitement and loyalty.

Propaganda in Sport – The 1936 Berlin Olympics

• The 1936 Olympics in Berlin was a massive propaganda opportunity to showcase Nazi Germany as a powerful and successful nation.
• The Nazis used the games to promote Aryan superiority, but were humiliated when the African-American athlete Jesse Owens won four gold medals for the USA.
• Loudspeakers in public spaces constantly broadcast Nazi messages, reinforcing Aryan superiority and anti-Semitic beliefs.

Nazi Control of Culture and the Arts

To eliminate opposition and spread Nazi ideology, Hitler and the Nazis controlled all aspects of German culture, ensuring that art, music, literature, and film glorified the regime.

The Nazi regime maintained tight control over Germany through a combination of fear and propaganda. By indoctrinating citizens from childhood and removing independent thought, Hitler created a nation of loyal followers—but not without resistance. Many Germans privately opposed Nazi rule, and as the war progressed, opposition grew stronger.