The Holocaust: NAZI Anti-Semetic Propaganda


Figure 1.--

NAZI propaganda attacked Jews on many fronts. They took up all the old canards about Jews that had been rife in Christian Eutope for more than a millenium. The NAZIs added new lies. One of the most effective was the lie that Germany had not been defeated in World War I, but rather stabbed in the back by Communists and Jews--often linking the two. The NAZIs also attempted to wrap their anti-Semitism in genetics, an effort to make anti-Semitism scientific and modern. The NAZIs eagerly embraced eugenics. As the NAZI rearmament program expanded and the military grew in strength--war became an increasing possibility for Hitler. As war approached, the NAZIs invreasingly brought to the fore the idea that the Jews were linked with an internationalist capitalist conspiracy to destroy Germany. This idea was widely reported as fact by the NAZI-controlled Germany medis. Thus when NAZI Germany went to war in 1939, large numbers of German soldiers believed that Jews were involved in a conspiracy to destroy their country.

The Old Canards

NAZI propaganda attacked Jews on many fronts. They took up all the old canards about Jews that had been rife in Christian Eutope for more than a millenium. The NAZIs added new lies.

Stab in the Back

One of the most effective was the lie that Germany had not been defeated in World War I, but rather stabbed in the back by Communists and Jews--often linking the two. The German Government which replaced the Kaisser were labeld the "November Criminals". The NAZI charges had considerable resonance because after Russia was defeated, many Germans began to think that they had essentially won the War. The defeatof Germany came very quicjly with the Anglo-American 100-Days Offensive (August-November 1918). In addition, several prominant Socialists involved with the new goivrnment were Jews.

Eugenics

The NAZIs also attempted to wrap their anti-Semitism in genetics, an effort to make anti-Semitism scientific and modern. The NAZIs eagerly embraced eugenics.

International Jewish-Capatalist Conspiracy

As the NAZI rearmament program expanded and the military grew in strength--war became an increasing possibility for Hitler. As war approached, the NAZIs invreasingly brought to the fore the idea that the Jews were linked with an internationalist capitalist conspiracy to destroy Germany. This idea was widely reported as fact by the NAZI-controlled Germany medis, newspapers, magazines, and radio. This claim was repeated over and over again in increasingly shrill language. Hitler, Goebbels, Dietrich (Director of the Reich Press Office) saw to it that this charge was reported over and over again. Hitler often stayed removed from some of the most vicious NAZI anti-Semetic propaganda. On this theme he energetically embraced it. Hitler gave an annual speech to the Reichstag. Just before the War he proclaimed, "I want today to be a prophet again: if international finance Jewry inside and outside of Europe should succeed in plunging the nations once more into a world war, the result will not be the Bolshevization of the earth and thereby the victory of Jewry, but the annihilation of the Jewish race in Europe!" (January, 30, 1939). Ayear later, after the success in Poland, Hitler declared to the Reichstag, "The Jewish-capitalist world enemy that confronts us has only one goal: to exterminate Germany and the German people." Notice how he was accusing Jews of precisely what he was planning to do. It is difficult to assess just how many Germans believed it. We know that many did. Thus when NAZI Germany went to war in 1939, large numbers of German soldiers believed that Jews were involved in a conspiracy to destroy their country. This partially explains the behavior of German soldiers during the War. NAZI propaganda after the War began continued this theme, blameing the Jews for both starting and prolonging World War II. It may seem difficult to believe that many Germans bought this lie, but there are parallels in the modern world. Large numbers of Muslims today believe that Jewish capitalists and medua figures control U.S. foreign policy and media. If you think this is not true, do an internet search on "Jewish capitalist control of America" or use similar search words and see the extent of the misinformation being circulated.

Movies

Goebels was a huge movie fan and was Hitler. From his position in the Propagand Ministry he could control the German film indisdtry. German had one of the modt imporant film industries in Europe, comprable iof not more important than the British film industry. His first step was go dismiss all Jews involved in the indutry. Many would emigrate and play an important pary in Hollywood. Comtrol of the Propaganda Ministry mean that the NZIs could revie all acripts. This was used primarily to remove any elements thst did not conform to National Socialist ideology. Some writer might insert material thst they knew would appel to Goebels and the NAZIs. There were several NAZI propganda films, but there were only two films made entirely as anti-Semetic propganda: 'The Eternal Je' and Jew Süss'. The results surprised Goebels. It should remembered thst mass propaganda while not new, was not a well developed science. Goebels had excelent instincrs, but he leaned a great deal as he worked in the Propganda Ministry. 'Der ewige Jude' (The Eternal Jew--1940) was a box office flop. No one either in Germany or the occupied countries particularly wanted to see it. 'Jude Süss' (Jew Seuss--1940) in contrast was a box office smash. Goebels took the mesage. Mixing propaganda with entertaunment was the most effective way of presenting it.






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Created: 7:39 PM 4/24/2007
Last updated: 8:04 AM 3/31/2014