Hitler's Propaganda Machine

Hitlers fascination with propaganda was born in the trenches of the First World War There he saw it emerge as a potent tool of psychological warfare one that he would harness to build the Nazi movement over the course of the 1920s and early 1930s He used simple repetitive rhetoric striking images and symbolism and his talent as a public speaker to tap into the discontent of the German people

A decade of propaganda of impassioned speeches newspaper articles posters and campaigning all led to one moment Hitler is made Chancellor of Germany in January 1933 With this act the dismantling of German democracy began This episode explores Hitlers approach to propaganda in power where persuasion was achieved through propaganda and through terror all in service of one goal to create a state

As Hitlers ambitions spread beyond Germanys borders the world drew inexorably toward another great war This one would be fought on many fields of battle in the air sea and on land but also for the hearts and minds of the people battles fought over the radio waves in newspaper print on posters plastering cities and on the silver screen This episode explores the way Hitler used propaganda to