Propaganda During The Holocaust

” It is not the purpose of propaganda to create a series of alterations in sentiment…. Its chief function is to convince the masses, whose slowness of understanding needs to be given time in order that they may absorb information; and only constant repetition will finally succeed in imprinting an idea on the memory of the crowd.” Adolph Hitler Mein Kampf Ch 6 (1) The Holocaust was not just an event. It was a process that continued for over a decade and involved millions of people. The Holocaust was the destruction of European Jews by the Nazis through an officially sanctioned, government-ordered, systematic plan of mass annihilation powered by the use of propaganda. The definition of propaganda according to Merriam-Webster’s dictionary
Hitler gained support from The Nazi Propaganda Ministry which was headed by Dr. Joseph Goebbels. Anything that opposed the Nazi party was removed from the media and all forms of communication were controlled by the Nazi government. The Jewish population was about 600,000 in total that was less than 1 percent of the German population. Laws were passed against Jews forcing them out of public life; Jews could not hold civil service jobs or attend school. Jewish businesses were boycotted as of 1935 and the first boycott was held in April, 1933. The Jews were forced to wear the Star of David on all exterior clothing with the word Juden written on it. The star is a six pointed star made of two interlocking triangles. The six points represent Gods rule over the universe in all six directions. The star became a sad symbol of the Holocaust and it will always be a reminder to the Jews. The “Nuremberg Laws” proclaimed the Jews as second class citizens. In November 1938 the Kristallnact took place also known as the night of the broken glass. Jewish buildings were destroyed and Jewish men were killed. Over 1,000 synagogues were burned, 7,000 Jewish businesses were wrecked. This event was planned by Dr. Joseph Goebbels and other Nazis. Thirty thousand more male Jews were arrested the next day for the crime of religious beliefs. More laws were passed making the Jewish children housebound. The Nazis not only targeted the Jews for being their “main problem” but also groups that were racially or genetically inferior to them. Between 1933 and 1935 laws were passed to reduce the number of genetically “inferior” individuals in the gene pool. The groups included the disabled, Jews, African German, Blacks, and gypsies. Almost 15,000 homosexuals were placed in concentration camps and the 20,000 Jehovah’s Witnesses were banned in April 1933. They lost their jobs and were denied