German Propaganda before and during WWII Intent, Implementation, Effectiveness

Purpose From the beginning of their plotting, planning and rise to power, Hitler and other Nazi officials had emphasized the importance of gaining control of the minds of Germany’s children.

Implementation Under the direction of the Minister of Propaganda, Joseph Goebbels, the German people were subjected to a constant barrage of cleverly designed messages to convince them to accept even the most outrageous claims of Hitler and the Nazi party.

Types of Propaganda used Newspapers Magazines Books Posters Speeches Radio programs Theaters Music and art Children’s picture books

Hitler Youth and Young Maidens In addition to their schoolrooms, young Germans were trained in all of the Nazi ideology and to believe and obey without question Through picture books, the Nazis tried to capture their hearts and minds when they were most open and vulnerable to the twisted hate produced by Hitler and his Nazi supporters

Nazi Picture Books These children’s books provided an inside view of the anti-Semitic prejudices and practices nurtured by the Third Reich and serve to document the ruthless poisoning of the young minds that were exposed to these storybooks, which represent one of the most sinister tactics used by the Nazis to instill German children with a deep hatred of Jews

Nazi Picture Books The picture book stories offer an insight into the means used to brainwash young children in the most extreme anti-Semitism imaginable. During the Nazi trials at the conclusion of the war, these picture books were used as documents of evidence Document the practices of the Nazis

Der Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom) Germany, 1938 Addresses the “Jewish Problem” Starts with a popular German past time: picking mushrooms in the woods Mother and son discuss the varieties of mushrooms on their walk in the woods Mother compares good mushrooms to good people and harmful mushrooms to bad people (Jews) Mother continues her comparison of Jews to poisonous mushrooms Story’s theme: It is Germany’s obligation to warn the rest of the world about this terrible toadstool and thereby save humanity from destruction

“The Poisonous Mushroom”

Effectiveness of German Propaganda The image of the Jew as something less than human, unnatural and immoral, recurs throughout Nazi propaganda Instructions on what must be done to keep Germany a wholesome country and free from the Jews Jewish presence in Germany was reduced to a plague that must be eliminated Make the status of the Jew as a deadly enemy as concrete as possible to German children A prerequisite to the “Final Solution” Hate was easily instilled in young children

Discussion Questions Think of your favorite children’s books. Describe some of the story themes and illustrations from your childhood books. Compare and contrast the themes of your childhood books to the picture books for the children in Nazi Germany. Why did Hitler and the Nazis place such a high priority on reaching out to shape the minds of the youth beginning with the youngest of children? Why was propaganda such an important part of the strategies and tactics that the Nazis developed to take control of Germany? Do you think that Hitler and the Nazis were correct in their estimate of the value of propaganda in controlling and influencing people? Explain your answer.