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what is propaganda?/art of propaganda? |
Propaganda means specific type of message directly aimed at influencing the opinion of people through the use of posters, films, speeches, etc. The Art of Propaganda in Nazism The Nazi regime used language and media with care, and often to great effect. The terms they coined to describe their various practices are not only deceptive. They are chilling. Nazis never used the words ‘kill’ or ‘murder’ in their official communications. Mass killings were termed special treatment, final solution (for the Jews), euthanasia (for the disabled), selection and disinfections. ‘Evacuation’ meant deporting people to gas chambers. Gas Chambers were labelled ‘disinfection-areas’, and looked like bathrooms equipped with fake showerheads. Media was carefully used to win support for the regime and popularise its worldview. Nazi ideas were spread through visual images, films, radio, posters, catchy slogans and leaflets. In posters, groups identified as the ‘enemies’ of Germans were stereotyped, mocked, abused and described as evil. Socialists and liberals were represented as weak and degenerate and were attacked as malicious foreign agents. Propaganda films were made to create hatred for Jews. The most infamous film was 'The Eternal Jew.' Orthodox Jews were shown with flowing beards wearing kaftans, whereas in reality it was difficult to distinguish German Jews by their outward appearance because they were a highly assimilated community. They were referred to as vermin, rats and pests. Their movements were compared to those of rodents. Nazism worked on the minds of the people, tapped their emotions, and turned their hatred and anger at those marked as ‘undesirable’. The Nazis made equal efforts to appeal to all the different sections of the population. They sought to win their support by suggesting that Nazis alone could solve all their problems. |