Propaganda, culture and the mass media Cambridge IGCSE History revision
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In plain words
Goebbels understood something that advertisers know today: a message repeated often enough, in a voice people trust, stops sounding like a message at all. The Nazis did not only censor what Germans read and heard. They filled the silence.
9 things to know
- Joseph Goebbels was the Minister of Propaganda. Everyone who worked in the arts or the media, from writers to film-makers, had to belong to an organisation that he controlled.
- Newspapers were censored. Anti-Nazi papers were closed down, and editors were told what to print.
- Radio was the most important tool. All stations were controlled by the state. Cheap radios were mass-produced so that almost every home could have one, and loudspeakers were put up in streets and workplaces.
- Rallies: huge rallies were held each year at Nuremberg, with marching, flags and searchlights. They gave people a sense of power and belonging.
- Film: all films were checked by Goebbels. Most were entertainment, with a Nazi message slipped in, and newsreels praising Hitler were shown before them.
- The 1936 Olympic Games, held in Berlin, were used to show the world a strong and modern Germany.
- Books: in May 1933 students publicly burned books by Jewish, communist and other banned authors.
- Art and music: modern art was condemned as "degenerate", and artists were told to show heroic Germans and healthy families. Jazz was banned, and music by Jewish composers could not be played.
- How well did it work? It was most effective when it built on what people already believed, such as hatred of the Treaty of Versailles, and among the young. It was less successful in changing deeply held loyalties, such as religion.
Worked example
Explain why radio was so useful to the Nazis. This is a 6-mark question.
- Reach: cheap radios put one in most homes, and loudspeakers carried broadcasts into streets and factories, so nobody could avoid them.
- Control: every station was run by the state, and the cheap sets could not easily pick up foreign broadcasts, so only the Nazi message was heard.
- Impact: people heard Hitler's own voice in their homes, which built a personal loyalty to him.
Tips and tricks
- Give the method and the reason for its power. "Radio: cheap sets in every home, so the message reached everyone."
- Propaganda and terror worked together. Propaganda won over the willing, and terror silenced the rest.
It lands in your notebook with its questions as flashcards.
Propaganda, culture and the mass media: 5 questions and answers
These are the quiz’s questions. Do the quiz first, then come back here for the ones that got you.
Who was the Nazi Minister of Propaganda?
He controlled all the media and the arts.
Where were the great annual Nazi rallies held?
They were huge displays of marching, flags and lights.
Why did the Nazis make radios cheap?
Radio was their most important tool.
What did the Nazis call modern art that they disapproved of?
It was mocked and banned.
When was Nazi propaganda most effective?Stretch
Propaganda works best when people are already half persuaded.
Quiz
5 questions
Tap an answer and you’ll see straight away whether it’s right, and why.
Worksheet
3 questions, 14 marks. Write your answers on paper, then check them.
Propaganda, culture and the mass media
Cambridge IGCSE History 0470 · 14 marks · papermunch.org
Name ______________________________ Date ______________
How did the Nazis control the newspapers?[4]
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Newspapers that opposed the Nazis were closed down. Editors were told what they could print. Journalists had to belong to an organisation controlled by Goebbels. Jewish and left-wing journalists lost their jobs.
Describe how the Nazis used rallies and the 1936 Olympics.[4]
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Huge rallies were held every year at Nuremberg, with parades, flags and speeches by Hitler. They showed the strength and unity of the Nazi movement. The Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 were used to show the world that Germany was modern, powerful and well organised.
Why did the Nazis control the arts?[6]
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They believed that art, music and books shaped how people thought, so they wanted them to carry Nazi ideas. They banned work by Jews and by their political opponents, and anything modern that they called "degenerate". Approved art showed strong, healthy Germans and loyal families, to promote Nazi ideas about race and the nation.
Answers: Propaganda, culture and the mass media
- 1. Newspapers that opposed the Nazis were closed down. Editors were told what they could print. Journalists had to belong to an organisation controlled by Goebbels. Jewish and left-wing journalists lost their jobs.
- 2. Huge rallies were held every year at Nuremberg, with parades, flags and speeches by Hitler. They showed the strength and unity of the Nazi movement. The Olympic Games in Berlin in 1936 were used to show the world that Germany was modern, powerful and well organised.
- 3. They believed that art, music and books shaped how people thought, so they wanted them to carry Nazi ideas. They banned work by Jews and by their political opponents, and anything modern that they called "degenerate". Approved art showed strong, healthy Germans and loyal families, to promote Nazi ideas about race and the nation.