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The War That Hitler Won: Goebbels and the Nazi Media Campaign
Book by Herzstein, Robert E.
- GenresHistory
491 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1978
About the author
Robert Edwin Herzstein
19 books4 followersRobert Herzstein was a historian who taught at the University of South Carolina. A graduate of New York University, in 1986 he helped to uncover Austrian politician and former UN Secretary-General Kurt Waldhem's past association with the Nazi Party.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
January 15, 2020
This book examines the most superlative propaganda machine ever created. Under the leadership of Joseph Goebbels, propaganda was a two-fold approach - (1) domestic propaganda aimed at the German volk, and (2) wartime propaganda targeting the enemy and countries occupied by the Nazis. The domestic arm of propaganda was unbelievably effective and mobilized the nation even when the war was being lost. As would be expected wartime propaganda was not as successful.
Goebbels was clever, sly, and manipulative. and had a talent for knowing what worked and what didn't. He seemed to isolate those techniques that were most effective and one of those talents was his understanding of "the crowd" (in this case the entire German nation). He developed images that were accepted as real although they often had little to do with actual fact. His use of symbolism and the greatness of the past, sacrifice, and the Aryan superiority espoused by Nazism made "normal" people act and believe abnormally.
The author offers the reader an inside look at each of the methods used to disseminate propaganda....radio, film, newspapers, posters, and mass meetings. A constant bombardment of information......telling a lie enough times made people believe it.
An extremely interesting book which is a little slow in places but makes up for it by presenting little known information in a highly readable format. Recommended.
Goebbels was clever, sly, and manipulative. and had a talent for knowing what worked and what didn't. He seemed to isolate those techniques that were most effective and one of those talents was his understanding of "the crowd" (in this case the entire German nation). He developed images that were accepted as real although they often had little to do with actual fact. His use of symbolism and the greatness of the past, sacrifice, and the Aryan superiority espoused by Nazism made "normal" people act and believe abnormally.
The author offers the reader an inside look at each of the methods used to disseminate propaganda....radio, film, newspapers, posters, and mass meetings. A constant bombardment of information......telling a lie enough times made people believe it.
An extremely interesting book which is a little slow in places but makes up for it by presenting little known information in a highly readable format. Recommended.
January 31, 2015
Herzstein offers penetrating insights into Goebbels' thinking and practice.
Goebbels had no early success and viewed himself a failure when he hitched his star to the Nazis and Hitler, where he quickly proved to have significant talents in several areas. He was an excellent speaker, agitator, writer and political organizer. He was also very creative in seizing on new media (film, radio) for propaganda purposes.
Goebbels prose struck themes which were enormously stimulating to his audience of downtrodden and humiliated Germans ... *** we think of the two million who grow pale in the graves of Flanders and Poland *** those who gave their lives upon the altar of the future so that Germany might be established again *** we greet you, dead ones. Germany is beginning to glow anew in the dawn of your blood *** the army of the dead marches with you, you storm troopers, into a better future
Goebbels was an intelligent man devoted to evil purposes. He was able to orchestrate and coordinate multiple elements ... Hitler's flying campaign, banners and placards everywhere, screaming Der Angriff headlines, street battles of SA stormtroopers vs communists … all focused to promote the image of Hitler bringing together a shattered people in order to create a nation imbued with greatness and will.
Goebbels did not seem to have any independent world view but was content to absorb Hitler's objectives and implement them, which gave him a stature he could never otherwise have achieved. He seems never to have challenged Hitler, although he did criticize him in his diaries.
The final horrifying image of Goebbels is he and his wife murdering their six children before committing suicide themselves in Hitler's final bunker.
Goebbels had no early success and viewed himself a failure when he hitched his star to the Nazis and Hitler, where he quickly proved to have significant talents in several areas. He was an excellent speaker, agitator, writer and political organizer. He was also very creative in seizing on new media (film, radio) for propaganda purposes.
Goebbels prose struck themes which were enormously stimulating to his audience of downtrodden and humiliated Germans ... *** we think of the two million who grow pale in the graves of Flanders and Poland *** those who gave their lives upon the altar of the future so that Germany might be established again *** we greet you, dead ones. Germany is beginning to glow anew in the dawn of your blood *** the army of the dead marches with you, you storm troopers, into a better future
Goebbels was an intelligent man devoted to evil purposes. He was able to orchestrate and coordinate multiple elements ... Hitler's flying campaign, banners and placards everywhere, screaming Der Angriff headlines, street battles of SA stormtroopers vs communists … all focused to promote the image of Hitler bringing together a shattered people in order to create a nation imbued with greatness and will.
Goebbels did not seem to have any independent world view but was content to absorb Hitler's objectives and implement them, which gave him a stature he could never otherwise have achieved. He seems never to have challenged Hitler, although he did criticize him in his diaries.
The final horrifying image of Goebbels is he and his wife murdering their six children before committing suicide themselves in Hitler's final bunker.
December 11, 2016
What a great book! Especially now that White Supremacy and Fascism are running rampant in the US itself. This book shows how Goebbels was brilliant at propagandizing the German people, always staying one step ahead of the will of the people. The hatred and subversion of the press is all outlined, as well as the slow decline of the Reich and how the truth finally seeped in to tear away at the Nazi morale . At least we have an outline for how Steve Bannon will try to subvert the American Press. I fully expect this book to help worried progressives understand how to defeat a Fascist-like figure like the Orange Turd. Read this book. A clear winner for any age- but adults will find the book actually useful, whilst kids will see it as a historical morality play. But whatever the reason, the politically aware will find this book invaluable. The point of the title is that this is an eternal struggle, for tyrants(even pathetic business tyrants with tiny little hands) will always try to control their message- and the response....
February 16, 2023
I learned a lot but the way this book is written makes it really hard to read it.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews