The Master of Lies
Using a variety of different methods such as speeches, videos, and posters, Goebbels was able to make Hitler a public figure as shown in the image above.
"He posses the two attributes without which no one could master the conditions in Berlin: influence and the gift of oratory"
- Adolf Hitler
- Adolf Hitler
[The Result! A Loss of Racial Pride, Prewar]
"Propaganda does not deceive people; it merely helps to deceive themselves."
-Eric Hoffer |
"By skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life of paradise."
-Adolf Hitler |
"Great liars are also great magicians"
-Adolf Hitler |
In 1929, Hitler appointed Goebbels the propaganda and enlightenment leader for the Nazi party. Through the use of lies, Goebbels was able to put a different perspective in peoples eyes about what the Jews really are as well as allow Hitler to gain power as World War II was approaching.
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"It would not be impossible to prove with sufficient repetition and a psychological understanding of the peoples concerned that a square is in fact a circle. They are mere words, and words can be molded until they clothe ideas and disguises."
-Joseph Goebbels
-Joseph Goebbels
[Triumph Des Willens, 1935]
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[Der Marsch Zum Führer Historischer, 1940]
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"He who can conquer the streets can conquer the masses: and he who conquers the masses conquers the state"
- Joseph Goebbels
- Joseph Goebbels
Under the leadership of Goebbels, radio broadcasts, newsreels, and cultural activities to persuade people to follow Hitler were created.
Eventually, Goebbels had control over anything involving propaganda. For example, he was able to erect loud speaker in public areas so people could hear Nazi speeches.
[Crowd Greets Hitler in Vienna, 1938]
Goebbels During the Olympics
One of Goebbel's biggest accomplishments in the category of leadership was the ability to hide the anti-Semitism during the 1936 Olympics. As people from all of the world spilled into Berlin, he was not only able to hide the opinions that Hitler had on Jews, but get people across the world to see Hitler as a good person.
[The Nazi Olympics: Berlin 1936]
[1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany]
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"The signs "Juden unerwuenscht" (Jews Not Welcome) were quietly hauled down from the ships, hotels, beer gardens and places of public entertainment, the persecution of the Jews and of the two Christian churches temporarily halted, and the country put on its best behavior."
-William L. Shirer "The visitors, especially those from England and America, were greatly impressed by what they saw: apparently a happy, healthy, friendly people united under Hitler . . . Berlin"
-William L. Shirer [1936 Olympics in Berlin, Germany]
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The Return of Propaganda
[Der Ewige Jude, 1940]
". . . they wanted to be in control of everything; what you read, what they heard, and what they saw. They were in control."
-Clara Robinson |
During World War II, Goebbels took propaganda into full swing and produced many cinemas such as "Der ewige Jude", or "The Eternal Jew." This film depicts Jews as parasites to society.
"Let us surpass one another in our love and loyalty to him . . . and to our faith in his historical mission,"
- Victor Reimann [Żydzi Wszy Tyfus Plamisty, 1939]
Eventually, as Germany was being invaded, Hitler was held up in his secret bunker. On April 30, 1945 Hitler committed suicide. The following day on May 1, 1945, Goebbels and his wife, Magda committed suicide as well and poisoned their six children with cyanide capsules. After this event, Germany's reign of propaganda came to a close.
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[Germany Army Gathers, 1936]