Joseph Goebbels Doctor of Germanic Philology

Paul Joseph Goebbels - one of the main propagandists, an important figure in the Nazi Party, an ally of Adolf Hitler.

Biography

Goebbels was born in Reidt on October 29, 1897. His parents had nothing to do with politics. The father was an accountant and hoped that his son, when he grew up, would be, but his plans were not destined to come true. Goebbels himself wanted to be a journalist or writer, so he directed all his energies to the study of the humanities.

He had to study in several where he studied literature, philosophy, German studies. At the University of Heidelberg, he even received a degree with a dissertation on romantic drama.

World War I

This period was not difficult for Goebbels compared to his compatriots, because he was declared unfit for military service due to a limp from which he suffered from childhood. This greatly affected the pride of the future ideologist of the Third Reich. He was disgraced because he could not personally serve his homeland during the war. The impossibility of participating in the confrontation probably greatly influenced the views of Goebbels, who would later argue for the need for the purity of the Aryan race.

Start of activity

Oddly enough, Paul Joseph Goebbels made many attempts to publish his works, but none of them were successful. The last straw was that the Frankfurt theater refused to stage one of the plays he had written. Goebbels decided to direct his energy in a different direction and went into politics. In 1922, he first joined the NSDAP political party, which was then led by the Strasser brothers.

He later moved to the Ruhr and began working as a journalist. During this period of his activity, he opposes Hitler, who, according to his own words, should have been expelled from the National Socialist Party.

Ideological changes

However, very soon the views of the philosopher change, and he goes over to the side of Hitler, whom he begins to deify. In 1926, he already boldly declares that he loves Hitler and sees in him a real leader. It is difficult to say why Joseph Goebbels changed his views so quickly. The quotes, however, show that he praises the Fuhrer and sees in him an exceptional personality capable of changing Germany for the better.

Hitler

Praises to Hitler, which Goebbels actively spread, led the Fuhrer to become interested in the personality of this propagandist. Therefore, in 1926, he appointed the future ideological leader of the Third Reich as the regional Gauleiter of the NSDAP. During this period, his oratory skills are especially developed, thanks to which he will become one of the most influential personalities of the Nazi Party and the entire German government in the future.

From 1927 to 1935, Goebbels worked in the weekly Angrif, which promoted the ideas of National Socialism. In 1928 he was elected to the Reichstag from the Nazi Party. During his speeches, he actively speaks out against the Berlin government, Jews and communists, after which he attracts the attention of the public.

Popularization of Nazism

In his speeches, the philosopher speaks about fascist ideas, supporting the views of Hitler. So, for example, the criminal Horst Wessel, who was killed in a street fight, he publicly recognizes as a hero, a political martyr, and even offers to officially recognize his poems as the anthem of the party.

Party promotion

Hitler was very delighted with everything that Goebbels propagated. Josef was appointed chief propaganda chief of the Nazi party. During the 1932 elections, Goebbels was the ideological inspirer and main organizer of the presidential campaign, doubling the number of voters for the future Fuhrer. That is, in fact, he contributed to the fact that Hitler managed to come to power. It was his propaganda that had the most serious impact on the electorate. Having adopted the latest presidential campaign techniques from the Americans and modified them slightly for the German people, Goebbels used a subtle psychological approach to influence the audience. He even created ten theses that every National Socialist must adhere to, later they became the ideological basis of the party.

As Reich Minister

In Goebbels, he received a new position, which significantly expanded his powers and gave him considerable freedom of action. In his work, he showed that in reality for him there are no principles of morality. They were simply neglected by Joseph Goebbels. Party propaganda has penetrated into all spheres of life. Goebbels controlled the theater, radio, television, the press - everything that could be used to popularize Nazi ideas.

He was ready to do anything to impress Hitler. He controlled the attacks directed against the Jews. In 1933, he ordered the public burning of books at several German universities. Authors who advocated the ideas of humanism and freedom suffered. The most popular of them are Brecht, Kafka, Remarque, Feuchtwanger and others.

How did Goebbels live?

Joseph Goebbels was one of the most influential advisers to Adolf Hitler along with Himmler and Bormann. Besides that, they were friends. The wife of the most important and influential propagandist of the Third Reich - Magda Quant - was the former wife of a Jewish businessman, she gave the Nazi ideologist six children. Thus, the Goebbels family became a model, and all the children remained favorites of the Fuhrer's entourage.

Women and Leaders of the Nazi Party

In reality, not everything was so rosy in the life of the German ideologist. He cannot be called monogamous, given that he was seen many times in relationships with film and theater actresses, which discredited him a lot in the eyes of the Fuhrer. Once, the disgruntled husband of another diva, whom Goebbels was courting, beat him. There was also a rather serious romance in his life on the side with an actress of Czech origin Lidia Barova, which practically led to a divorce from his legal wife. Only the intervention of Hitler saved the marriage.

Goebbels did not always have good relations with other prominent leaders of the Nazi Party. For example, he could not find a common language, which led to constant disagreements, with Ribbentrop and Goering, who did not celebrate him because of his friendly relations with Hitler.

The Second World War

Despite the fact that Goebbels was a master of his craft, even his propaganda techniques could not help Nazi Germany win the Second World War. During this period, Hitler set him the task of maintaining the patriotic spirit and mood of the nation. He tried to do it in every possible way. Goebbels' main leverage was propaganda against the Soviet Union. Thus, he wanted to support the front-line soldiers so that they would stand to the last and fight to the end.

Gradually, the implementation of the task set by the Third Reich for Goebbels became more and more difficult. The morale of the soldiers was falling, although the Nazi propagandist fought for the opposite, constantly reminding everyone what awaits Germany if the war is lost. In 1944, Hitler appointed Goebbels in charge of mobilization, from that moment on he was responsible for collecting all material and human resources, and not just for maintaining the spirit. However, the decision was made too late, before the fall of Germany there was very little time left.

Fall and death

Goebbels remained faithful to his Fuhrer to the end, who was for him the embodiment of ideological ideals. In April 1945, when the fate of Germany was already clear to the majority, Goebbels nevertheless advised his mentor to stay in Berlin in order to preserve for posterity the image of a revolutionary hero, and not a coward who fled from dangers. Until the last, his faithful friend, Joseph Goebbels, took care of the image of his colleague. The biography of the most famous German propagandist shows that he was one of the few who did not leave the Fuhrer.

After Roosevelt's death, the mood in the Third Reich improved, but not for long. Soon Hitler wrote a will in which he named Joseph Goebbels as his successor. Quotes from this period show that the propagandist tried to negotiate with the Russians, but after nothing came of it, he, along with Bormann, decided to commit suicide. By this time, Adolf Hitler was already dead. Goebbels' wife - Martha - poisoned her six children, and then laid hands on herself. After that, one of the most influential people of the Third Reich, Joseph Goebbels, also committed suicide. "The Diaries of 1945" - this is part of the manuscript heritage that remained after the most famous ideologue of Nazism - they perfectly show what the author was thinking about during this period and what end of the confrontation he was counting on.

Propaganda and records

After Goebbels, there were a lot of handwritten documents that were supposed to support the morale of the German inhabitants and turn them against the Soviet Union. However, there is a work, only partly devoted to politics, the author of which was Joseph Goebbels. "Michael" - this novel, in which, although there are reflections on the state, it has more to do with literature. This work did not bring success to the author, after which Goebbels decided to turn to politics.

As noted above, the philosopher also has Nazi books in which he reflects on anti-Semitism, superiority, and so on. Joseph Goebbels, whose last entries are included in his Diaries of 1945, has been classified as a banned author in Russia for some time now, and his book has been classified as extremist.

About Lenin

Oddly enough, Joseph Goebbels spoke positively about Vladimir Lenin, whom, it would seem, he should have despised as a representative of Bolshevism. Despite this, the German leader, on the contrary, writes that Lenin will be able to become the savior of the Russian people, save him from problems. According to Goebbels, since Lenin came from a poor family, he is well aware of all the problems that the lower strata of society have to face, so he will be able to overcome any obstacles in his path to improving the lives of ordinary peasants.

Outcome

Goebbels Joseph was one of the most influential and famous persons of the Third Reich. He became one of the key figures who contributed to and until the last remained faithful to his powerful mentor, who aspired to world domination. If theoretically imagine that Goebbels would not have been on the side of the most tyrannical Fuhrer of Germany, but opposed him, there is a possibility that Adolf Hitler would not have become the ruler, and perhaps the Second World War would not even have started, millions of lives would have been saved. Goebbels Joseph played one of the main roles in the propaganda of Nazism, which served to ensure that his name was recorded in history in huge but bloody letters.

Joseph Paul Goebbels- Minister of Public Education and Propaganda of the Nazi government of Germany, a man who left a mark not only on the history of the Third Reich, but also in world history in general. A brilliant speaker and propagandist, he is called the "father of lies" and the "father of PR", the "father of mass communications" and the "Mephistopheles of the 20th century."

His statements became the commandments of propaganda and black PR:

“Give me the media, and I will make a herd of pigs out of any nation!”

“We are not seeking truth, but effect.”

"A lie told a hundred times becomes the truth."

“The information had to be simple and accessible, and it should be repeated, that is, hammered into the heads, as often as possible.”

It can be noted with bitterness that, despite the fall of the fascist empire, Goebbels' ideas for the manipulation of consciousness live and win. Their influence is noticeable in various areas of influence on human consciousness:

The need to study the methods, forms and theoretical ideas of Goebbels' propaganda is currently associated with two problems.

The first is the existence of neo-fascist movements, and, as a result, the possibility of using Dr. Goebbels' propaganda arsenal by them. Their current weakness cannot be a source of complacency - the NSDAP was also weak in the early 1920s, and the Beer Putsch looked like a parody of the revolution. The well-known similarity of the situation in the late 1920s and early 1930s can also contribute to the effective use of the Goebbels legacy. last century and in the modern world:

• The global economic crisis, which is systemic in nature and requires a radical restructuring of the existing economic system.
• As a result - the deterioration of the material situation of the general population.
• Increasing political and social instability, global threats such as the activity of various revolutionary groups in the last century and terrorism today. These factors lead to longing for order and a "strong hand" in a significant part of the people.
• Growth in the activity of left-wing organizations (Although the centers of activity have changed. At the beginning of the 20th century, Europe was the main center, now it is Latin America.), which can reactively lead to the stimulation of extreme right movements from influential political and economic circles.
• Destruction of former ideological systems and related systems of moral values.

For Germany, the beginning of the century is the fall of the Second Reich and the onset of the culture of the 20s. with its cult of money and pleasure, the denial of spiritual values, the flourishing of drug addiction and prostitution. In our time, this is the destruction of traditional Christian culture and the arrival of the "MTV civilization" in the West and the destruction of the USSR and the entire socialist system with its rather traditional ethics - in the East.

The situation of "spiritual vacuum" does not seem comfortable to everyone and also pushes some part of the population to fascism with their clear and intelligible system of values.

Goebbels' techniques in modern politics (direct link to video):

The prevalence of historical ignorance makes it possible to reuse the propaganda methods of the "old" fascism. Accordingly, their thorough research and development of information countermeasures, such as:

• maintaining historical awareness of the crimes of fascism, its influence on the fate of Germany and other countries with victorious fascist dictatorships, the fight against pro-fascist falsification of history;
• prevention of glorification of Nazism;
• maintaining a bright memory of the fighters against fascism;
• development of systemic thinking, in particular the ability to competently and comprehensively assess the consequences of a particular historical choice on the political, economic, spiritual life of the country. Ignorance is the breeding ground of demagogues;
• critical thinking, the ability to resist the manipulation of consciousness.

The phenomenon of Nazi propaganda in general and the personality of Goebbels in particular attract the close attention of researchers. Let us note several books published in Russian in the last two decades.

As an introductory book, we can offer the book of Lyudmila Chernaya "Brown Dictators", dedicated to the personalities of the most important figures of the Third Reich: Hitler, Goebbels, Goering, Himmler, Bormann and Ribbentrop. Without delving into the topic of Nazi propaganda, the author focuses on the study of the personality of its main creator, Joseph Goebbels. The book is intended for a wide range of readers and is of a popular nature, but at the same time it provides rich factual material.

The biography of Goebbels is also presented by the book of foreign researchers Bramstedte, Frenkel and Manvell "Joseph Goebbels - Mephistopheles grins from the past". The authors are especially interested in the oratorical skills of the Nazi Minister of Propaganda, his methods of manipulating the masses.

A deeper study of the personality of Goebbels is undertaken by Kurt Riess in the book Bloody Romantic of Nazism. Doctor Goebbels. 1939-1945". The time frame of the book is limited by the Second World War, but the book is interesting due to the emphasis on the use of primary sources - Goebbels' diaries, eyewitness accounts and relatives. It combines ease of presentation with factual reliability, which is quite rare.

Elena Rzhevskaya during the war was an interpreter at the headquarters of the army, which passed from Moscow to Berlin. In defeated Berlin, she participated in the identification of the bodies of Hitler and Goebbels and in the initial sorting of documents found in the bunker. Her book Goebbels. Portrait against the background of a diary "explores the phenomenon of the Nazis coming to power, primarily from the point of view of the impact on human psychology.

A deep study of Nazi propaganda was undertaken by Agapov A. B. in the work “Joseph Goebbels and German Propaganda”, published as part of the book “The Diaries of Joseph Goebbels. Prelude of Barbarossa. The publication also includes the full text of Goebbels' diaries from November 1, 1940 to July 8, 1941, and notes to them.

Of the primary sources, the most important are the diaries of Goebbels, which he kept throughout his life. Unfortunately, there is no complete edition in Russian. The diaries of 1945 are collected in the book by J. Goebbels "Last entries", 1940-1941. - in the book of Agapov mentioned above, there are also journal publications.

Unfortunately, in Russian it is difficult to find the works of Goebbels. Some materials can be found on the Internet. So selected speeches and articles of the Minister of Propaganda (translated from English and German) are posted on the site "Thus Spoke Goebbels". An extensive selection of speeches and articles in English is contained on the "Nazi Propaganda by Joseph Goebbels" page of the Calvin College website.

This is enough to start studying the topic.

Goebbels' propaganda methods in and before the fascist party came to power

Joseph Goebbels joined the NSDAP in 1924, and initially joined its left, socialist wing, then led by the Strasser brothers and opposed to the right, led by Hitler. Goebbels even owns the statement:

"Bourgeois Adolf Hitler must be expelled from the National Socialist Party!" .

Since 1924, Goebbels worked in the Nazi press, first as an editor in Völkisch Freiheit (People's Freedom), then in Strasser's National Socialist Messages. In the same 1924, Goebbels made a significant entry in his diary:

“I was told that I gave a brilliant speech. It is easier to speak fluently than according to a ready-made text. Thoughts come by themselves.

In 1926, Goebbels went over to the side of Hitler, becoming one of his most devoted associates. Hitler reciprocated and in 1926 appointed Goebbels Gauleiter of the NSDAP in Berlin-Brandenburg (However, we note that this position was not easy, because Berlin was considered a “red” city and at the time Goebbels arrived, the local Nazi cell had only 500 members.) . It was at this work that Goebbels' oratorical abilities were revealed at numerous rallies and demonstrations. He also became the founder and (from 1927 to 1935) editor-in-chief of the weekly (from 1930 - daily) "Der Angriff" ("Attack"). From 1929 he was the Reichsleiter of the propaganda of the Nazi Party, in 1932 he led the election campaign of Hitler in the struggle for the presidency. Here he achieved remarkable success, doubling the number of votes cast for the Nazis.

Goebbels proclaimed the following propaganda principles:

1. Propaganda must be planned and directed from a single point of view
2. Only authority can determine whether the result of propaganda should be true or false.
3. Black propaganda is used when white propaganda is less possible or has undesirable effects.
4. Propaganda should characterize events and people with distinctive phrases or slogans.
5. For the best perception, propaganda must arouse the interest of the audience and be transmitted through an attention-grabbing communication medium.

In life, Goebbels clearly adhered to these principles.

The centralization of the propaganda process was fully embodied after the Nazis came to power in the form of the creation of the Ministry of Propaganda. However, even earlier, Goebbels managed to largely concentrate propaganda activities in his own hands, becoming officially the Reichsleiter of NSDAP propaganda.

Boundless cynicism in the choice of means became the hallmark of Goebbels. It is believed that it was he who came up with the division of propaganda into white (reliable information from official sources), gray (doubtful information from obscure sources) and black (outright lies, provocations, etc.). This or that distortion of information is a characteristic feature of any propaganda. But, perhaps, it was Goebbels, for the first time after Ignatius Loyola, who began to use direct lies constantly, in large quantities and purposefully. He completely abandoned the criterion of truth, replacing it with the criterion of efficiency.

Let's take a look at his quote again:

“We are not seeking truth, but effect.”

Parenthetically, this is strikingly reminiscent of modern advertising textbooks, where all attention is paid to the effectiveness of getting the message across, and ethical issues are left completely behind the scenes. As a journalist from one of the publications in the field of marketing noted:

Slogans are a characteristic feature of Goebbels' style. Being a mediocre writer (all publishers rejected his youthful works), Goebbels was truly talented in the art of the slogan. His first exercise in the lapidary style was the 10 commandments of the National Socialist, composed by him shortly after joining the party:

1. Your fatherland is Germany. Love him above all and more in deed than in words.
2. The enemies of Germany are your enemies. Hate them with all your heart!
3. Every compatriot, even the poorest, is a part of Germany. Love him like yourself!
4. Demand only duties for yourself. Then Germany will find justice!
5. Be proud of Germany! You should be proud of the fatherland for which millions gave their lives.
6. Whoever dishonors Germany will dishonor you and your ancestors. Point your fist at him!
7. Beat the scoundrel every time! Remember, if someone takes away your rights, you have the right to destroy him!
8. Don't let the Jews fool you. Be on the lookout with Berliner Tagesblatt!
9. Do what you need without shame when it comes to New Germany!
10. Believe in the future. Then you will be the winner!

Just as masterfully, Goebbels knew how to stir up public interest by dressing Nazi propaganda in a bright, attractive form. He was one of the first to understand the attractive power of the scandal. At the beginning of his oratorical activity in Berlin, he considered the rally a failure if no one was beaten at it.

Goebbels also discovered one of the principles of the "correct" presentation of information, which today is considered the basics of the journalistic profession - information is better absorbed through specific human images. The public needs victims and heroes. The first experiment of this kind for Goebbels was the formation of the image of Horst Wesel.

Horst Wessel - SA Sturmführer. In 1930, at the age of 23, he was wounded in a street clash with the Communists and died from his wounds (NSDAP opponents spread the version according to which the fight happened because of a woman and had no political overtones.). From this banal story (hundreds were killed in street clashes between fascists and communists) Goebbels squeezed everything possible. He spoke at Wessel's funeral and called him a "socialist Christ".

The scholar of fascism Herzstein writes about Goebbels' speech:

“The principle of comradeship in the ranks of the assault detachments (SA) was the “life-giving force of the movement”, the living presence of the Idea. The blood of the victim-martyr nourished the living body of the party. When, in early 1930, Horst Wessel, the eternal student and man with no fixed occupation, who wrote the words to the Nazi anthem "Above the Banners!", died a violent death, mourning for the hero and an emotional salute sounded in Goebbels' words, demonstrating the brilliance of his method of organizing mourning ceremonies. He made Vesel die with a peaceful smile on his lips, a man who believed in the victory of National Socialism until his last breath,

“... forever remaining with us in our ranks ... His song immortalized him! For this he lived, for this he gave his life. A wanderer between two worlds, yesterday and tomorrow, so it was and so it will be. Soldier of the German Nation!

Goebbels immortalized the memory of Wessel, who was killed by the Reds; in fact, his death was more like the consequences of a quarrel that arose as a result of a collision with another such bastard because of a prostitute. It is very possible that in the last weeks of his life, Wessel was going to move away from the party altogether. But all this did not play any role: Goebbels knew what was required of him, and acted as expected.

Song to the verses of Wessel "Above the banners!" became the anthem of the SA (and later the unofficial anthem of the Third Reich). Each anniversary of his death was solemnly celebrated, and the speech at the grave was delivered personally by the Fuhrer, dressed in a brown shirt of an attack aircraft, despite the cold. The family grave of the Wessel family was re-registered with party money. In memory of the hero in 1932, the 5-1 "standard" SA "Horst Wessel" was formed. The Wessel cult developed even after the Nazis came to power. Goebbels was well aware that the presence of heroes, role models is an important factor in the stability and reproducibility of society, and if necessary, they must be created artificially!

If we talk about the directions of Goebbels' propaganda at this time, then they come down to increasing the popularity of the NSDAP and its teachings, denigrating its political opponents, harsh criticism of the existing government and anti-Semitism. As an audience, Goebbels considered the broad masses of the people. He said :

“We must speak in a language understandable to the people. Anyone who wants to speak to the people must, according to Luther's words, look the people in the mouth.

Oratory speeches, newspaper publications, as well as pre-election campaign materials were used as forms of propaganda before coming to power.

As you know, before the start of political activity, Goebbels tried to find himself in the writing field, and later did not leave these attempts. However, his literary works were unanimously rejected by publishers (naturally, before coming to power). They were distinguished by verbosity, pomposity, unnatural pathos, sentimentality. Here is an example of Goebbels' style - the hero of the novel "Michael" describes his feelings when returning to his homeland from the front of the First World War:

“A blood stallion no longer snorts under my hips, I no longer sit on cannon carriages, I no longer step on the clay bottom of the trenches. How long have I been striding across the broad Russian plain or across the joyless fields of France pitted with shells? Everything is gone! I rose from the ashes of war and destruction like a Phoenix. Motherland! Germany!".

However, the same qualities that caused Goebbels' failure as a writer ensured his success in the field of oratory. Hysterical pathos, hysterical cries, romanticism had a strong effect on the crowd gathered for a rally or demonstration.

During the speech, Goebbels was extremely excited and turned on the crowd. His plain appearance was compensated by a strong and sharp voice. His emotionality was expressed in violent theatrical gestures:

He attacked the Berlin city government, the Jews and the Communists, but became sublimely romantic when speaking of Germany. Here is an example of Goebbels' speech:

“Our thoughts about the soldiers of the German revolution, who threw their lives on the altar of the future in order for Germany to rise again ... Retribution! Retribution! His day is coming... We bow our heads before you, the dead. Germany begins to awaken in the reflections of your spilled blood...

Let the marching tread of the brown battalions be heard:

For freedom! Soldiers of the Storm! The army of the dead marches with you into the future!”

Goebbels's journalistic activity, as mentioned above, was in the newspaper Narodnaya Svoboda, where major Jewish publishers became the main target of his attacks (revenge for the rejection of his literary works!). Then there was a short work in the left-Nazi "NS-Brief". Goebbels really unfolded in the newspaper he founded Angriff. The new newspaper was conceived as a "publication for all tastes", had the motto on the first page:

"Long live the oppressed, down with the exploiters!"

In order to attract, Goebbels tried to write in a popular manner, refusing any objectivity. He was convinced of the unpretentiousness of mass consciousness and the predilection of the masses for simple unilateral decisions. Goebbels used modern methods of advertising to notify the world about the appearance of his newspaper.

“The public needs to be intrigued even before the product appears!”, for this purpose, three advertising posters were released, one after the other, pasted on the streets of Berlin. The first one asked:

"Attack with us?"

the second declared:

and the third explained:

Ataka (Der Angriff) is a new German weekly newspaper published under the motto “For the oppressed! Down with the exploiters!”, and its editor is Dr. Joseph Goebbels.

The newspaper has its own political program. Every German, every German woman should read our newspaper and subscribe to it!

I can't help but draw parallels with modern advertising again. Now it has become a worn out technique - placing billboards with incomprehensible content (to intrigue the public) with a subsequent explanation.

The new newspaper "attacked" in two main directions. Firstly, it incited readers to speak out against democracy, against the existing Weimar Republic, and secondly, it fueled and exploited anti-Semitic sentiments. So, at first, Bernhard Weiss, the head of the Berlin police and a Jew, became the main target of attacks. Newspaper slogan:

"Germany, wake up! Damn the Jews! In the end, starting with a tiny piece of paper, the newspaper was a resounding success and became the main mouthpiece of the party.

Goebbels also paid great attention to the production of campaign materials, especially posters. Truly poster art flourished after the Nazis came to power, but even earlier posters were widely used. In the election campaign, two directions can be distinguished: the image of enemies in a satirical form and the creation of an image "Real Germany"- workers, front-line soldiers, women, etc., voting for Hitler:

An important theme of the posters is the unity of the working German people - workers, peasants and intelligentsia; Goebbels tried to unite the broadest possible masses in voting for the Nazis.

Goebbels himself praised the achievements of Nazi poster art:

“Our posters have become simply excellent. Propaganda is being done in the best possible way. The whole country will definitely pay attention to them.”

Actually, that's how it happened.

Fascist State Propaganda Methods

After the Nazis came to power in 1933, Goebbels was appointed Reich Minister of Public Education and Propaganda. Under his leadership, this modest department actually became the second most important after the military. Goebbels turned the Ministry into a "propaganda machine", subordinating all forms of art and all channels of communication to this goal. The essence of propaganda is glaishaltung, literally - "turning into a monolith" - the unification of the German people under the National Socialist slogans.

In addition to the previous types of propaganda - oratory and the press, Goebbels made extensive use of new technical means - cinema and radio. He attached an important role in the “unity of the people” to folk holidays (including sports) and mass rituals. Poster art flourished. No less importance was attached to non-verbal propaganda - architecture, sculpture, the use of various symbols. However, Goebbels had a minimal relation to the latter direction.

Oratory still remained Goebbels' strong point. He spoke a lot at various public events: party congresses, rallies, and during the war - in solemn burials. At the end of the war, Goebbels was practically the only one of the leaders of the Reich who appeared in public. He often visited the wounded in hospitals, the homeless in the ruins of their destroyed homes. And wherever he appeared, he delivered fiery speeches that returned fanatical faith in German weapons and the genius of the Fuhrer to people who had lost their strength to fight.

Goebbels was the first to give paramount importance to the propaganda power of mass communications. For that era, it was radio.

“What the press was in the nineteenth century, broadcasting will be in the twentieth,” said Goebbels.

After becoming minister, he immediately reassigned national broadcasting from the General Post Office to the Ministry of Propaganda. The mass production of cheap radios ("Goebbels' muzzle") and their sale in installments to the population was organized. As a result, by 1939, 70% of the German population (3 times more than in 1932) turned out to be radio owners. The installation of radios in businesses and public places such as cafes and restaurants was also encouraged.

Joseph Goebbels also experimented with television. Germany was one of the first countries where television broadcasting began. The first experience took place on March 22, 1935. Goebbels' subordinate, radio chief Eugen Hadamowski, appeared on the screen as a blurry image and uttered a few words of praise for Hitler. During the Berlin Olympiad in 1936, there were attempts (not very successful) to broadcast the competition live.

Despite technical imperfections, Goebbels highly appreciated the potential of television:

“The superiority of the visual picture over the auditory is that the auditory is translated into the visual with the help of individual imagination, which cannot be controlled, anyway everyone will see his own. Therefore, you should immediately show how it is necessary so that everyone sees the same thing.

And further:

“With television, a living Fuhrer will enter every home. It will be a miracle, but it should not be frequent. Another thing is us. We, the leaders of the party, must be with the people every evening after a working day and explain to them what they misunderstood during the day.”

Goebbels developed a plan for the approximate content of television programs:

* news;
* reports from workshops and farms;
* sports;
* entertainment programs.

Interestingly, Goebbels considered building a viewer feedback mechanism into television (now called interactivity) and using it as a valve to release discontent. The following quotes speak of this:

“One should not be afraid to immerse the viewer in a political dispute, in the struggle between the good and the best… And the next day, provide an opportunity to express one’s opinion at one’s enterprise by voting, for example.”

“If some kind of discontent is brewing in society, one should not be afraid to personify it and bring it to the screen. As soon as we can provide at least half of the population with telefunkens (i.e. televisions) of the fifth model, we need to put our working leader, Leah, in front of the telegun, and let him sing his songs about the hardships of the working man.

However, with the outbreak of the war, the technical development of television slowed down, and it did not play a significant role in the propaganda activity of this period.

The press was also placed under tight control. All opposition publications were banned, liberals and Jews were expelled from the editorial offices. Jewish-owned newspapers were expropriated. The quality of newspaper materials and their sharpness have fallen sharply and, accordingly, the interest of the population has fallen.

Under Goebbels, the organization of mass events rose to the level of art. These included rallies, congresses, parades, etc. Goebbels' personal invention was the introduction into Nazi circulation of exceptionally colorful night torchlight processions involving thousands of young people.

An example of Nazi propaganda is the 1936 Berlin Olympics directed by Goebbels. It should be noted that Hitler was initially against the Olympics, because he considered it humiliating for "Aryan" athletes to compete with "non-Aryans". Goebbels made every effort to convince the leader to reconsider his attitude towards the Olympic Games. According to him, holding the Olympics will show the world community the revived power of Germany and provide the party with first-class propaganda material. In addition, the competition will demonstrate the superiority of the Germans.

Especially for the Olympics, a monumental sports complex was built, decorated with "Aryan" figures:

Both the Olympic complex and the entire city were lavishly decorated with Nazi symbols. The opening ceremony of the Olympics was impressive with artillery salute, thousands of doves released into the sky and a giant airship "Hindenburg" with the Olympic flag.

The talented director Leni Riefenstahl shot the film Olympia at the Olympics. In general, the propaganda campaign was a success. William Shearer wrote in 1936:

“I'm afraid that the Nazis succeeded in their propaganda. First, they organized the Games on a grand scale and with a bounty never seen before; Naturally, the athletes liked it. Secondly, they made a very good reception for all other guests, especially big businessmen.”

It was from the Berlin Olympics that the tradition of holding the Games as a monumental celebration began.

Before the Nazis came to power, German cinema was one of the strongest in the world. His fate in fascist Germany resembles the fate of the press - many talented filmmakers were forced to leave Germany, as a result of which the level of films fell. Nevertheless, Germany produced 1300 paintings during the 12 years of the Reich. Individual gifted artists such as Leni Riefenstahl worked for the Nazis, incl. and in propaganda tapes.

Poster art developed most strongly after the Nazis came to power.

During the 2nd World War, the Goebbels department switched to serving the interests of the war. There are several themes that were actively exploited in the Nazi poster.
Leader theme. Recurring slogan:

"One people, one Reich, one leader."

Poster "One people, one Reich, one leader"

Family, mother and child theme. Reich advocated "healthy Aryan family":

The theme of the man of labor. The Nazi Party drew strength from the broad strata of the population, and the appeal in the poster to the image of a worker or peasant is not accidental.

Since 1939, of course, the theme of war, heroism at the front, sacrifices in the name of victory, and the theme of labor heroism adjoining it, have occupied a lot of space.

The theme of enemies was also widely used in military propaganda: Jews, Bolsheviks, Americans. By the end of the war, this topic acquired the shade of "horror stories" -

“It is better to die for the motherland than to fall into the clutches of bloodthirsty Jewish communists.”

It is worth dwelling separately on the work of the Goebbels department during the Second World War, when not only the troops of the opposing sides, but also their propaganda apparatus clashed in battle. The Ministry of Propaganda worked in two directions: at the address of the army and the population of the enemy, and at domestic consumption.

External propaganda achieved the following goals.

Convince the population of the friendliness of Germany, the need for an “alliance” with her. Similar propaganda was used in relation to "racially close" countries: Denmark, Norway, etc. An example is the poster below, in which the silhouette of a Viking recalls the common ancient Germanic past of Norway and Germany:

To convince the civilian population of the friendliness of the German troops and a good life under the conditions of German power.

Such propaganda was used mainly in the Soviet Union. It was assumed that the Soviet workers and peasants, who did not live in the best material conditions, would “bite” on the promise of a heavenly life. However, the problem turned out to be a striking discrepancy between the appeals of the leaflets and the actual behavior of the German troops in the occupied territory. In the conditions of the atrocities of the occupiers, Goebbels' propaganda had no effect on the population.

Convince enemy soldiers of the futility of resistance and the need to surrender. In addition to appealing to the natural desire to survive, the technique “Why would you die for this power!” Was used. Leaflets, appeal over loudspeakers, “Pass in captivity” were used:

Setting the population against the authorities. Again, it was widely used in the Soviet Union. The current government was presented as "Jewish-communist", it was reminded of the famine of 1932-1933. and other fictional "crimes".

An attempt to split the ranks of the allies. The most striking episode is an attempt to unwind the Katyn case, which we will consider below.

On the domestic front, the lines of propaganda were as follows.

Belief in the invincibility of the German troops. It worked well at the beginning of the war, but with an increase in the number of defeats, it ceased to work.

Stimulation of labor enthusiasm - "Everything for the front!".

Intimidation of the population by the atrocities of the Bolsheviks. An effective technique that makes people fight even in hopeless conditions. "Better to die than fall into their hands!"

If we talk about the forms of propaganda, then the same channels were used in internal practice as in peacetime. To influence the enemy, radio stations, leaflets, broadcasting through a loudspeaker across the front line were used. The Nazis sought to use traitors from among the local population, preferably famous people, such as popular artists.

Falsification of facts was very widely used, from the banal reporting of false information in news releases, to the forgery of photos and film documents, there were even attempts to fake live television broadcasts. For example, residents of occupied Krasnodar were told that a convoy of Soviet prisoners would be led through the city and that food could be handed over to them. A large number of people gathered with baskets. Instead of prisoners, cars with wounded German soldiers were driven through the crowd - and Goebbels was able to show the Germans a film about the joyful meeting of the German "liberators". The method of mixing genuine and false documents was often used. In some cases, historians still cannot separate the truth from the lies. Such cases include the Katyn case and the murders in Nemmersdorf.

According to the Soviet version, Polish prisoners of war fell into the hands of the Germans during the 1941 offensive and were shot by the German side.

In 1943, Goebbels used this mass grave for propaganda purposes against the Soviet Union in order to drive a wedge between the allies. A demonstration exhumation of the corpses of Polish officers was arranged with the involvement of representatives of dependent states and British and American prisoners of war as witnesses. At the same time, a propaganda campaign coordinated and controlled by the Goebbels department was launched by the dependent press, which was supported from London by the Polish government in exile, despite the lack of an opportunity for an independent investigation in the territory occupied by German troops and the efforts of the British, then allies of the USSR in the anti-Hitler coalition, to keep the Poles from hasty and unfounded conclusions. At the moment, it has been established that the execution in Katyn was organized by Stalin, the Rosarchive has published secret documents on this case.

In the village of Nemmersdorf on the territory of East Prussia, according to Goebbels propaganda, mass rape and murder of civilians by Russian soldiers took place. Terrible details were reported, bloody photographs were published. The purpose of this action was to persuade the population of the Third Reich to continue senseless resistance. It is extremely difficult to establish the truth now, but apparently the fire of the Soviet troops on civilians really took place, and about 3 dozen people died. Goebbels used a real fact, increased the number of those killed several times, added fictitious vile details and fabricated pictures. Nevertheless, it is the Goebbels version that is still popular in Western publications.

These cases well illustrate the methods of work of the Ministry of Propaganda. However, the streams of lies also brought a negative result for the ministry. Often the department rushed things, and he was caught in a juggling. This led to the spread of disbelief in any official communication by the end of the war. Many Germans during this period preferred to listen to English or Soviet radio in search of more reliable information. Goebbels himself admitted his mistakes after the defeat at Stalingrad:

“... propaganda from the very beginning of the war took the following erroneous development: 1st year of the war: We won. 2nd year of the war: We will win. 3rd year of the war: We must win. Year 4 of the war: We cannot be defeated. Such a development is catastrophic and should not continue under any circumstances. Rather, it must be brought to the consciousness of the German public that we not only want and must win, but in particular also that we can win.

Nevertheless, he remained true to himself to the end - and in the last days of the war he bombarded the defenders of Berlin with leaflets with assurances of inevitable victory.

Propaganda is the force that made it possible for the Nazis to come to power in Germany. Along with military power, she is one of the pillars of the Third Reich. The head of the propaganda department, Joseph Goebbels, turned propaganda into a high art. Completely freed from the ethical principle, propaganda has become a powerful tool for manipulating consciousness. We list some of the principles introduced into mass circulation by Goebbels:

Sadly, these and other Goebbelsian techniques are widely used in modern advertising, public relations and media work. It is worth recalling a couple more lessons from the life and work of Dr. Goebbels:

the most brilliant lies do not withstand a collision with reality; sooner or later the lie turns against itself.

This was confirmed in May 1945.

Literature

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2. Agapov A. B. Diaries of Joseph Goebbels. Prelude of Barbarossa. M.: "Dashkov and K", 2005
3. Bogatko Yu. Joseph Goebbels as the father of mass communications. // Composition.ru. URL: www.sostav.ru/columns/eyes/2006/k53/
4. Bramstedte E., Frenkel G., Manvell R. Joseph Goebbels - Mephistopheles grins from the past. Rostov-on-Don: "Phoenix", 1999
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6. Goebbels J. Recent records. Smolensk: "Rusich", 1998
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8. Goebbels propaganda 1941-1942. // Blog dr-music. URL: dr-music.livejournal.com/136626.html
9. Herzstein R. The war that Hitler won. Smolensk: "Rusich", 1996.
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11. Kara-Murza S. G. Manipulation of consciousness. M.: "Eksmo", 2007
12. Klemperer V. LTI. Language of the Third Reich. Notebook of a philologist. M.: "Progress-Tradition", 1998
13. Mukhin Yu.I. Katyn detective. M .: "Svetoton", 1995
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15. Patrushev A. I. Germany in the XX century. Moscow: Bustard, 2004
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23. Encyclopedia of the Third Reich. M.: Locky-Press, 2005

Name: Paul Joseph Goebbels

State: Prussia, Germany

Field of activity: Politics

Greatest Achievement: He became one of Hitler's closest associates. Served as chief of propaganda for the NSDAP

The Third Reich has become one of the blackest pages in world history. And it's not even about politics - such states existed in a more ancient era. Rather, it is about the individuals who led this state and created the conditions for life.

Nazi Germany is forever associated with the name of its leader - Adolf Hitler. But there were other names that made a significant contribution to the development of the Reich and its popularity both within the country and abroad. They can be admired, feared, but these people did not leave anyone indifferent. One of Hitler's closest associates was Joseph Goebbels.

The beginning of the way

Paul Joseph Goebbels was born into an ordinary German family in the town of Mönchengladbach on October 29, 1897. Mother was of Dutch origin. In addition to Joseph, there were five more children in the family - one can imagine that the Goebbels family lived hard, there was not enough money, since only the father was the breadwinner and the main labor force.

Probably, it was this circumstance - a difficult childhood - that became the impetus for the future of the minister. Goebbels grew up with anger inside that rich people have everything, and they use the labor and resources of ordinary citizens.

As a child, Josef did not differ in good health - he was constantly ill, suffered severe pneumonia, from which he almost died. In addition, he had a physical defect - the right leg was shorter than the left and bent inward. This was the result of childhood osteomyelitis.

Parents tried to somehow correct the situation, turned to doctors, performed operations, but to no avail. Looking ahead, we note that this defect allowed Goebbels not to serve in the army and avoid being drafted to the front (which he very much regretted).

Josef was an excellent student - his grades were only high. He liked to study. At first he attended a real school. The parents hoped that their son would enter the faculty of theology, but fate (and Goebbels himself) decreed otherwise.

He was eager to become a journalist, so he threw all his strength into the study of the humanities.

He entered several universities in Germany, improved his knowledge, even defended his thesis at the University of Heidelberg.

In addition, Goebbels wrote poetry and prose, which he tried to publish in various newspapers, but for a very long time did not have success in this field. The only outlet is his diary, which Josef kept throughout his life. It is from there that we can learn the details of his biography.

Goebbels met World War I in Germany. He really wanted to volunteer for the front, but it did not work out. This circumstance hit Josef's pride even more.

Brought up in a strict Catholic family, instilled with theological views, Goebbels became more and more convinced that religion is not the main thing in a person's life.

If God really existed and helped people, then he would not have allowed his lameness. Also, his defect soon became the lever that will be lowered to the purity of the Aryan race - suddenly mixed marriages really affect the health of future children.

Goebbels continued to write after the war, trying to promote his works in newspapers. He even writes the play "The Wanderer", which, however, is refused to be accepted and staged in the city theater. After another refusal, Josef decides not to write anymore. He is attracted to politics.

Start of political activity

In 1922, Goebbels joined the NSDAP. The Strasser brothers were the leaders of the party at that time. At first, Josef was skeptical against - the failure affected. But over the years (although not much time has passed - only about 5 years), he changed his point of view, and dramatically.

If at first Goebbels criticized Hitler and his speeches, then after a personal acquaintance he was imbued with sympathy and became a faithful ally. I must say that the future Fuhrer himself made a lot of efforts in order to lure Josef to his team.

The journalistic past allowed Goebbels to develop his oratorical talent. In the mid-20s of the 20th century, Hitler came up with the idea of ​​national propaganda as a source of inspiration for citizens.

He writes his main work "Mein Kampf" and plans to create a special unit responsible for propaganda during the transfer of power into his own hands. It is not difficult to guess who became the leader of the Imperial Ministry of Education and Propaganda, which opened in 1933.

Third Reich and Goebbels

Goebbels' oratory was not in doubt - he knew how to talk to the crowd so that they saw the NSDAP not as an enemy, but as a best friend who only wanted a good life. After his speeches, clashes took place in the streets between supporters of National Socialism and the Communists. This was another huge plus in favor of Josef.

In his speeches, there was criticism of the Jews, propaganda of Nazism, as the only correct and best ideology. Goebbels also supported the Fuhrer in foreign policy, which did not differ in peaceful intentions.

There is probably nothing more terrible than the extermination of a people. And even worse, the danger comes from people like you. The Jewish question still remains one of the most acute on the world stage. Goebbels was one of the first to openly declare that he was an anti-Semite. Where this prejudice came from is unknown. One can only assume that

1. it came from childhood (but where and when could the young Goebbels pick up this anti-Semitic "contagion")
2. the influence of Hitler, whom Goebbels sought to please by any means, affected.

There were enough speeches here, but Josef went even further. After all, time will pass - and the famous orator and friend of Hitler will be forgotten. And what will remain? That's right, books. Which you need to get rid of. On May 10, 1933, in Berlin on the Opera Square, in the presence of thousands of students and party representatives, books objectionable to the government were burned - mainly by Jewish authors by origin, as well as works that did not fit the ideals of Nazism.

It is somehow strange to see the joy of Goebbels, although he once studied with Jewish professors at universities, even admired and imitated them. Now he has different ideals. Which will cost many prisoners of concentration camps their lives.

The last moments of the life of Goebbels and his children

In 1944-45, it becomes clear that Germany will lose the war. There were many crimes on the conscience of the leader of the Third Reich and his henchmen, for which you simply cannot go to jail. Hitler understood this and timely committed suicide in April 1945. For Goebbels, the death of the leader was a real blow. Although the Fuhrer appointed him Reich Chancellor, Joseph understood that.

Therefore, he must remove himself from the powers of the ruler and go after Hitler. He did not want to fall into the hands of the allies, so as not to be tried and executed. Goebbels with his wife and 6 children take refuge in a bunker in Berlin, where the kids are given injections of morphine (on the orders of their father), they are also forced to swallow cyanide. The spouses themselves use hydrocyanic acid.

According to official figures, the Goebbels family died on May 1, 1945. Their charred bodies were found the next day.

Paul Joseph Goebbels (Goebbels) - member of the top leadership of the NSDAP, Minister of Propaganda of Nazi Germany (1933-1945). One of the main war criminals of Nazi Germany.

Joseph Goebbels was born on October 29, 1897, in Reidt, Germany, in the family of a small factory employee. With the support of Catholic charitable organizations, he graduated from high school and university. The only member of the top Nazi leadership with a university degree.

If you tell a big enough lie and keep repeating it, people will eventually believe it.

Goebbels Joseph

After unsuccessful attempts to become a writer, Goebbels took up journalism. Published in small circulation press, mostly nationalistic. He was noticed by Gregor Strasser (one of the first ideologues of Nazism) and became his secretary. Together with him, he represented the so-called left wing of the NSDAP, which criticized Adolf Hitler for his one-sided orientation towards big industrial capital. In 1926, he distanced himself from Strasser and became part of Hitler's inner circle. In the same year he was appointed Gauleiter of the NSDAP in Berlin. Since 1928 - head of the NSDAP propaganda service.

After Hitler's appointment as chancellor in 1933, he headed the newly created Imperial Propaganda Ministry. He created on its basis one of the most effective propaganda centers for that time, putting it at the service of the dictatorial Nazi regime. He played a prominent role in the ideological and propaganda support of the aggressive foreign policy of Nazism, in the ideological mobilization of the German population during the Second World War.

Any significant person wants something and, moreover, is ready to use any means to achieve his goal.

Goebbels Joseph

In 1944 he was appointed imperial commissioner for total mobilization with very broad powers. At the end of April 1945, after Hitler's suicide, relying on his will, he proclaimed himself Chancellor of Germany. He tried to enter into negotiations with the Soviet command on the issue of the terms of a separate truce. The attempt was unsuccessful, and Goebbels, together with his wife on May 1, 1945, committed suicide in Berlin, after killing the children. He left behind detailed diaries containing valuable material on the history of Nazi Germany. (A. A. Galkin)

In 1922, Joseph Goebbels joined the National Socialist (Fascist) Party. In 1927 - 1933 he was the publisher of the Nazi newspaper "Angriff" ("Angriff").

In 1928, Goebbels took over the propaganda work of the Nazi Party. After the seizure of power by the Nazis (1933) - the imperial minister of public education and propaganda. In 1944, the imperial commissioner for total military mobilization.

Fascist propaganda directed by Goebbels was based on the preaching of racism, the glorification of violence and wars of conquest, and was characterized by demagogy and unheard-of falsification of facts. After the entry of Soviet troops into Berlin, he committed suicide.

Peace is the parent of all great thoughts.

Goebbels Joseph

Racism is a set of concepts based on the provisions on the physical and mental inequality of human races and on the decisive influence of racial differences on the history and culture of society, on the primordial division of people into superior and inferior races, of which the former are the only creators of civilization, called to dominate while the latter are incapable of creating and even assimilating a high culture and are doomed to exploitation. Having put forward the first racist concept in the middle of the 19th century, the Frenchman Joseph Arthur de Gobineau declared the Aryans the "superior race"; in the future, racism is intertwined with social Darwinism, Malthusianism, eugenics (D. Highcraft and B. Kidd in Great Britain, J. Lapouge in France, L. Voltman, Houston Stewart Chamberlain, O. Ammon in Germany). Became the official ideology of fascism; used to justify racial discrimination, segregation and apartheid. Racism has been condemned by the international community.

The worst enemy of any propaganda is intellectualism.

Goebbels Joseph

Literature about Joseph Goebbels: The Nuremberg trials of the main German war criminals. Sat. materials, vol. 1 - 7, M., 1957 - 61; Rozanov G. L.. The Last Days of Hitler, M., 1961; Bartel W., Deutschland in der Zeit der fascistischen Diktatur 1933 - 1945, V., 1956.

Joseph Goebbels - quotes

“The British are known all over the world for their lack of conscience in politics. They are experts in the art of hiding their crimes behind a façade of propriety. They have been doing this for centuries, and it has become so much a part of their nature that they themselves no longer notice this trait. They act with such a well-behaved expression and such absolute seriousness that they convince even themselves that they are exemplifying political innocence. They do not admit to themselves their hypocrisy. Never will one Englishman wink at another and say: "but we understand what we mean." They not only behave as a model of purity and integrity - they believe in themselves. It is both funny and dangerous” (Joseph Goebbels, “Children with Severed Hands”).