-
Plays On Emotions
Propaganda plays on human emotions—fear, hope, anger, frustration, sympathy—to direct audiences toward the desired goal. Hitler argued that the successful propagandist had to understand how to psychologically tailor messages to the public's emotions in order to win people over.
Attacks Opponents
Propaganda can serve as a form of political and social warfare to identify and vilify opponents. It can call into question the legitimacy, credibility, accuracy, and even the character of one’s opponents and their ideas. Nazi propagandists contributed to the implementation of the regime’s policies by publicly identifying groups for exclusion, justifying their outsider status, and inciting hatred or cultivating indifference.
Advertises a Cause
Adolf Hitler likened propaganda to political advertising: it had to distinguish the party, cause, or individual from their competitors. The Nazis branded themselves and their leader as young, patriotic, political outsiders who alone were capable of reforming Germany. They painted other political parties as special interest groups while portraying the Nazi Party as an inclusive movement representing all non-Jewish Germans, regardless of class, religion, or region.
Targets Desired Audiences
Effective propaganda often times conveys messages, themes, and language that appeal directly, and many times exclusively, to specific and distinct segments—and even sub-segments—of the population. Propagandists create messages that appeal directly to the needs, hopes, and fears of the targeted groups. The Nazi Party promoted itself as an inclusive political movement that represented all non-Jewish Germans, regardless of class, gender, religion, or region.
What is Propaganda?
Propaganda is biased information spread to shape public opinion and behavior.
- Message
- Technique
- Environment
- Means of communication
- Audience receptivity
Propaganda appears in a variety of forms and uses common techniques to successfully influence people, including:
- Playing on emotions
- Advertising a cause
- Attacking opponents
- Targeting desired audiences
Interpreting Propaganda[ top ▲ ]
The United States Holocaust Memorial Museum created this forum to promote discussion about the role and impact of propaganda in society. We explore the Nazis' use of propaganda through examples taken from our special exhibition State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda.
The Holocaust shows us that propaganda unchecked can have devastating consequences. The Nazis used the latest, most sophisticated technologies and techniques to create and disseminate their propaganda, often employing words and images that on the surface appeared benign or even positive. They communicated their messages through print, film, broadcasts, and other media and even through toys and parades.
The Nazis didn't invent propaganda and it didn't disappear in 1945. With today's technology-rich, 24-hour information cycle, we are surrounded by more propaganda than ever. Critical thinking about propaganda messages and understanding propaganda's intent are crucial responsibilities of citizenship in the twenty-first century.
This site provides an opportunity for you to explore the subject of propaganda by examining Nazi imagery from three distinct periods – the democratic Weimar Republic, the early Nazi dictatorship, and during World War II.
Explore the examples displayed in this site. Consider whether they are dangerous or benign. Ask yourself:
- What makes something propaganda?
- What makes people vulnerable to it?
- What responsibilities do producers and consumers of propaganda bear for its consequences?
Engage in a dialogue with other visitors to this site about the impact of propaganda, and practice being a critical thinker and savvy citizen.
Use the Propaganda Techniques button in the upper right to assess the examples you find on this site.
About the Online Exhibition[ top ▲ ]
To learn more about how the Nazis used modern techniques, new technologies, and carefully crafted messages to sway millions with their vision for a new Germany, visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's online exhibition
State of Deception: The Power of Nazi Propaganda
. Through an interactive timeline, a thematic exploration of the history, and a gallery of images, film, documents, artifacts, and sound recordings, the exhibition illustrates the Nazis' sophisticated propaganda campaigns and their legacy today. The online exhibition also includes links to resources for teachers and students.
NOTE: The online exhibition is optimized for devices that are Flash-compatible. A simple HTML version is available for other devices.