Readings on Fascism and National Socialism: Selected by members of the department of philosophy, University of ColoradoVarious
Philosophy
Readings on Fascism and National Socialism: Selected by members of the department of philosophy, University of Colorado
Various
Fascism; National socialism
Within Germany the notorious propaganda machine of Dr. Goebbels,
together with a systematic terrorization of oppositionist elements,
has been the principle support of the rise and triumph of the Nazi
movement. In his _Legal Organization and Legal Functions of the
Movement_ (document 8, _post_ p. 204), Gauweiler gives an idea of the
permeation of all phases of national life with a propaganda designed
to make Nazi "legal principles" acceptable to the masses. He makes it
clear that all of the Nazi propaganda machinery is in the service of
this program; political lecturers, the press, the radio, and the films
all play a part in helping the people to understand and appreciate the
new legal code. The schools and Hitler Youth groups provide
instruction for all young people in the fundamentals of National
Socialist law, and pupils in those schools which train the carefully
selected future leaders are given an especially strong dose of Nazi
legal theory and practice.
In order to appeal to the broadest audience, Nazi propaganda has
always sought to present all questions in the simplest possible terms.
Goebbels himself, in his _Nature and Form of National Socialism_
(document 2, _post_ p. 170), wrote as follows:
National Socialism has simplified the thinking of the German
people and led it back to its original primitive formulas.
It has presented the complicated processes of political and
economic life in their simplest terms. This was done with
the well-considered intention of leading the broad masses of
the people once again to take part in political life. In
order to find understanding among the masses, we consciously
practiced a popular [_volksgebundene_] propaganda. We have
taken complexes of facts which were formerly accessible only
to a few specialists and experts, carried them to the
streets, and hammered them into the brain of the little man.
All things were presented so simply that even the most
primitive mind could grasp them. We refused to work with
unclear or insubstantial concepts but we gave all things a
clearly defined sense. Here lay the secret of our
success.[112]
The character and quality of Nazi propaganda was fully presaged in
_Mein Kampf_. Here Hitler paid a striking tribute to the power of
lies, commenting on--
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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