How was propaganda used by the Nazis to gain support and influence public opinion from 1920 to 1945?

Propaganda was a key weapon used by the Nazis, as its universal accessability insured that almost all Germans would be recieve Hitler's ideology and policies such as antisemetism and lebensraum (spreading Nazism throughout Europe and the world. Joseph Goebbels, Hitler's propaganda architect would attempt to appeal to the already pre-existing social and economic anxieties many Germans held. For example, the controversial Versailles treaty which constricted the size of the German army, rendering many ex-soldiers jobless, and thererfore through posters and literature Nazism was presented to unemployed Germans as a viable alternative to the ineffective Weimar republic. The scapegoating of Jews for Germany's problems was also a key propaganda tactic and therefore indoctrinating the citizens early would allow the deplorable treatment of Jews by the Nazis to be more acceptable and to recieve less public outrage. A variety of propaganda methods were used, for example posters, radio broadcasts, nationalist music and speaches. Hitler used his natural charisma and public speaking skills to his advantage, for example during his trial in 1924 after the Beer Hall Putsch Hitler spoke extensively, which publicised some of his ideas and raised his profile as a politician. These speaches later evolved into expansive rallies, for example the Nuremberg rallies. Similarly to his experience in court, Hitler made the most out of a bad situation in prison as it gave him time to contemplate and write his influential propaganda book, Mein Kampf which outlined his policies in detail, an example of which is autarky and becoming a financially independent state, which would appeal to nationalists but also those hit hard by the negative effects of the First World War, the Versailles Treaty, and the Great Depression of 1929 as they would see Nazism as a way of restoring Germany's power and regaining employment. Hitler's focus on the nostalgia of a powerful German state also brought in the idea of Aryanism - a policy which would be popular among pre-existing white nationalists. Therefore, propaganda was essential during Hitler's rise to power as it gave him public support but also later during his time as Fuhrer as it maintained this public support. Hitler's charisma and Goebells' skill were used effectively in order to influence public opinion and propagate Nazi policies through a variety of methods, mainly using the media and speeches.

Answered by Antony J. History tutor

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