Facing History

Click Here to Print Project Details

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B2mk7v8cXovLV0drdGdwYW14eDg5Yjd2LVZuMlQwUmVoWVBV/view?usp=sharing

Honors Facing History and Ourselves

Fall 2014

R. Yarbrough

Project – Nazi Propaganda

Due: Monday, 11/17/2014

Introduction:

When looking at obedience and conformity in Nazi Germany, it is helpful to examine these ideas through the lens of propaganda. Propaganda, the dissemination of information to persuade an audience toward a particular idea or cause, was among the most powerful tools in the Nazi arsenal. Adolf Hitler said, “By the skillful and sustained use of propaganda, one can make a people see even heaven as hell or an extremely wretched life as paradise.” By establishing the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda as one of his first acts as chancellor, Hitler demonstrated his belief that controlling information was as important as controlling the military and the economy. He appointed Josef Goebbels to direct this department. Goebbels penetrated virtually every sector of German society, from film, radio, posters, and rallies to school textbooks with Nazi propaganda. The Nazis also found ways to remove ideas from larger society that they felt went against party doctrine. They organized public book burnings, censored newspapers, published lists of banned books and authors, and prohibited “offensive” artists from displaying their work.

By studying Nazi propaganda, you will get a sense of the way the Nazis sought to shape and condition the beliefs of Germans through a constant barrage of finely tuned messages. You should also consider the consequences of using powerful media to glorify some groups while dehumanizing other segments of society.

Instructions:

1. Visit the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum website and research the various forms of Nazi propaganda.
2. Select a THEME to explore regarding Nazi propaganda. (http://www.ushmm.org/propaganda/exhibit.html#/themes/)
3. After selecting a THEME and researching various aspects of that theme, select three pieces of Nazi propaganda related to that theme.
4. Analyze each piece of propaganda by using the analysis questions provided (see back of this paper)
5. CREATE A POSTER PRESENTATION OF YOUR RESEARCH. The poster should include the following items:
1. Title of theme that you chose (TOP OF POSTER)
2. Brief synopsis of the theme you chose and its importance (underneath the title)
3. 3 pieces of Nazi propaganda (can be photographs, cartoons, newspapers, films, radio broadcasts, speeches, etc…)
4. Analysis of each piece of propaganda
5. Description of the effects of Nazi propaganda in relation to the theme you researched.
6. Present your propaganda to the class.
1. You will be present your propaganda analyses to the class on the day projects are due. This will count for part of your grade and is required. Presentations should be between 2-4 minutes, and students should be able to articulate the effects of Nazi propaganda in relation to the theme you researched. (For Example, “Nazi propaganda was effective in defining the enemy, because it perpetuated stereotypes of Jews that had existed for decades, causing many Germans to respond with fear to the growing Jewish threat to German nationalism.”

Themes to choose from:

• Making a Leader
• Rallying the Nation
• Defining the Enemy
• Indoctrinating Youth
• Writing the News
• Deceiving the Public
• Assessing Guilt

Analysis guide: (for each piece of propaganda)

1. Who created this message and who was the intended audience?
2. What is the purpose/message of this piece of propaganda?
3. What creative techniques were used to attract and hold attention?
4. How might different people/audiences have understood this message differently?
5. What values, lifestyles, and points of view are represented in this piece?
6. What is omitted from this message?
7. Which emotion(s) does this piece target?
8. What was the cultural context that influenced the attractiveness of this piece of propaganda?

**Downloading images from the State of Deception Online Exhibit:

To use images from the website, you can download them through the Text Version of the site. Here are the instructions for finding and downloading those images:

1. Go to the home page at http://www.ushmm.org/propaganda
2. At the bottom of the home page, click on “Text Version” (right next to “Contact Us”)
3. The next page will have three options. To see a gallery of all of the images available for download, click on the “Artifacts Gallery.”
4. There are 11 pages of images for you to look through. When you choose one, follow these steps:
1. Click on the image icon on the Artifacts Gallery page.
2. Right click on the image that pops up and choose to either copy the image to a program or save the image by clicking on “Save Picture As…”
5. Make sure you copy the caption and credit information as well when you use it.