Download German Propaganda

German Propaganda before and
during WWII
Intent, Implementation, Effectiveness
Purpose
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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
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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
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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 antiSemitism imaginable.
 During the Nazi trials at the conclusion
of the war, these picture books were
used as documents of evidence
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 Document
the practices of the Nazis
Der Giftpilz (The Poisonous Mushroom)
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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
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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
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The image of the Jew as something less than
human, unnatural and immoral, recurs
throughout Nazi propaganda
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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
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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.
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Compare and contrast the themes of your childhood books to
the picture books for the children in Nazi Germany.
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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?
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Why was propaganda such an important part of the strategies
and tactics that the Nazis developed to take control of
Germany?
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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.