World War II Propaganda The Power of Persuasion
A presentation by Janine Havanci and Julia Götze
Definition of „Propaganda“
A specific type of message presentation aimed at serving an agenda
Propagates a philosophy or point of view
Aim: to actively influence people‘s opinions
SUBDIVISIONS OF PROPAGANDA
Face-to-face communication (social organisations, group discussions, speeches)
Audiovisual media (television & sound motion pictures)
Audio media ( radio & loudspeakers)
Visual media (essays, posters, cartoons, (school)books etc…)
German vs. British Propaganda
1.1. German face-to-face communication
Political mass assemblies Speeches Organisations (KdF)
Hitler – a talented speaker ? ( Art of Mass Seduction)
eloquent rehearsed gesture copied classical literature Started off calmly and monotonously but worked himself up into hysteric yelling
1.2. British face-to-face communiation •
Speeches
May 13, 1940 Winston Churchill "Blood, Toil, Tears and Sweat” First Speech as Prime Minister to the House of Commons
2.1. German audiovisual media Leni Riefenstahl (1902-2003)
Director Producer Actress Dancer Photographer
Propaganda Films
1933: Victory of Faith
1935: Triumph of the Will
Documentary films about the NSDAP‘s Reich Party Congress in Nuremberg
2.2. British audiovisual media Wartime Cinema
Second World War interrupted progress
most studios closed, while a few continued to make films for propaganda purposes
aimed to encourage patriotic feeling and boost national morale
Wartime movies
• •
„In which we serve“ (1942) „Millions like Us“ (1943) „London can take it“ (1940) „Listen to Britain“ (1941)
Noel Coward
Joseph Goebbels
Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda total control of communications media a relentless Jew-baiter nickname : „Poison Dwarf“
3.1. German audio media The „Volksempfänger“ • • • • •
first produced in 1933 relatively cheap (65 RM) most effective propaganda medium every 2nd household owned one hardly received foreign stations
3.2. British audio media
BBC (British Broadcasting Corporation) was formed 1927 by means of a royal charter Radio was used for internal and external propaganda broadcasted radio programmes to countries under the control of Nazi – Germany These programmes went out in 40 different languages
How did they get the enemy and the civilian population to listen to their broadcasts?
-Radioleaflets were dropped from aircraft over the enemy or friendly target areas and told the finder exactly when and where the broadcast could be heard. -Germans prepared many of them. They dropped them on the Allied troops in Italy and later Europe -sometimes they were prepared in two sizes- a large sheet for dropping from aircraft - a small sheet for delivery by artillery shell -half a dozen different types were kown -some were marked with AI or a small star
Radio Leaflets During Wartime
The use of radio as a medium of propaganda in wartime was made famous during WWII by Tokyo Rose and Axis Sally. The British listened to William Joyce (Lord Haw Haw) broadcasting from Germany.
In later wars, American soldiers would hear the voice of Hanoi Hannah and Baghdad Betty. Radio propaganda can be broadcast over great distances to a large audience at a relatively low cost.
Lord Haw – Haw (William Joyce)
Tokyo Rose
Axis Sally
Radioleaflet
4.1. German visual media „My Struggle“
author: Adolf Hitler
autobiographical
blueprint for his political plans
when he was at the reins, millions of copies were sold
was as common to see as the Bible in German housholds
Julius Streicher Publisher of the Nazi newspaper „Der Stürmer“ Released anti-Semitic books for children one of the best known Nazi-leaders
Circulation of „Der Stürmer“ Year
Circulation
1927
14,000
1933
25,000
1934
113,000
1935
280,000
1938
473,000
Facts about „Der Stürmer“ came out weekly should appeal to the common man short articles with short sentences simple vocabulary ideas were repeated cartoons were easily understood filled with stories about scandal, sex and crime
Caricatures taken from „Der Stürmer“
Anti – Semitic books for children The Toadstool
published in 1938
sometimes used in schools
Pictures from „The Toadstool“
4.2. British visual media
Daily Express, Monday, April 28, 1941 German Tanks Enter Athens Paratroops seize Corinth Express Special War Despatch „No Escape“ „Tanks charge“
The Homefront
The Homefront (II)
Allied Unity
The Fighting Forces
Comics and caricatures
„ I await your next ̍ inspiration ̍ , mein Fuehrer.“
Comics and Caricatures (II)
Fire Bomb Fritz
Disney and Nazi – Germany
Donald in Nutziland
Quote: „The receptivity of the great masses is very limited, their intelligence is small, but their power of forgetting enormous. In consequence of these facts, all effective propaganda must be limited to a very few points and must harp on these slogans until the last member of the public understands what you want him to understand by your slogans […]
1)
Who might have said or written this quote?
Adolf Hitler „My Struggle“ Chapter 6 „War Propaganda“
2) Would you agree with this statement?
Thank you for your patience…
