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How Successful was Nazi Propaganda 1933-39?
 
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The Nazi Party certainly spent a great deal of time and effort on propaganda in an attempt to indoctrinate the population into the Nazi world view 1933-39.
It is however rather difficult to measure how successful these attempts were because there were no free elections in the Nazi period, opposition was banned and a reign of terror implemented against real and imagined opponents. 
 The Secret Police and Gestapo compiled regular reports on the state of public opinion based on evidence gathered by their networks of spies and informers. The reliability of such evidence however is highly questionable. Similarly there were a series of plebiscites throughout the 1930's which invited approval of major government policies such as the decision to leave the League of Nations in 1933, the elevation of Hitler to Fuhrer in 1934 and the Anschluss with Austria in 1938. These too however are problematic when used as evidence of support for the regime or the success of propaganda not least because of the ongoing use of terror and fear of reprisals. 
Traditionally historians have characterised the Nazi regime as extremely successful in indoctrinating even 'seducing' the German nation. This view has however been somewhat revised by historians who have emphasised how hard it is to reasonably assess the level of active support for regime. More recent studied have empathised that support for the regime varied through time - whilst Nazi economic policy was successful groups like workers and the middle class supported the regime but when hardship returned with the impact of war this support fell away.
 
What is clear is that Nazi propaganda was especially successful when it tapped into existing political culture and beliefs e.g. the Fuhrerprincip, anti democracy, nationalism, anti Semitism. Nazi propaganda was less successful when it went beyond these existing beliefs for instance the radical Nazi policy against religion and the Church was much less successful. Nazi propaganda was also especially successful when aimed at the young whose ideas and beliefs had either yet to be formed or were only partially formed.
 
Reading
 
AQA page 51
 
Collier and Pedley pages 199-206
 



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