Discuss the importance of propaganda to the emergence of Mao and Hitler # Flashcards
Intro
Propaganda is the tool used to attempt to change people’s decisions into supporting the cause at the centre of the propaganda.
In both Hitler’s rise to power and the emergence of Mao, propaganda played a role in gaining support.
However, the importance of propaganda was much more significant for Hitler than it was for Mao who had recently emerged victorious from a civil war.
However, as many historians such as Ian Kershaw outline the most important factor was the economic one in the emergence of an authoritarian state, which is true for both Mao and Hitler.
Propaganda (P1)
Propaganda was established by both leaders in two very different ways.
1926, Hitler assigned Goebbels as head of propaganda of the Nazi party.
Goebbles –> used developing technology to help increase awareness among people of Hitler. 1930 elections Hitler was transported to different areas of Germany by Plane.
Hitler’s presence –> kept throughout the country. In China, Mao –> Mao did not spread propaganda as effectively.
1935 –> CCP established base in Ya’nan after the Long March in which they narrowly escaped the party’s complete destruction by the Nationalist Party man Jiang Jieshi.
In Ya’nan –> province of Shaoxi, Mao and the fellow leaders established a form government control over the peasants. Much smaller scale than a whole country (COMPARE TO HITLER) –> Mao did spread support throughout Ya’nan to gain support from the peasants.
Schools - children sing songs of praise to Mao regfferring him to the saviour of China.
Hitler ALSO targeted the Youth –> Hitler made ‘Nazi Youth’ –> Mao did not strive to promote propganda to all peoples.
Hitler promised people ‘work and bread’ –> large businesses were targetted by establishing fear of communism.
Mao altered ideology of Marxism focusing on peasants (85% population). Make these into flashcards
Propaganda (P2) Exploiting events
Dick Geary
- Hitler’s rise to power on the impact on the T.of.V
- Mao –> rise to power was due to the Sino-Japanese War (37-45)
Both exploited these events
- Germany –> Great discontent for T.of.V 1919
- 6 Billion dollar reparation + War guilt clause + Demilitarisation of the Rhineland + Reduce army to 100k
- Hitler used these events in a way to gain support among the German people
- One of his propositions –> Tear up T.of.V –> appealed to many German people
- Hitler was also able to blame the Weimar for bringing this on Germany –> they signed an armistice (Nov 1918)
CHINA
- ‘37 –> Marco Polo incident –> Japan invaded Northern CHina –> Bejing and Nanjing taken over –> National Government had abandoned them
- Japan focused on Nationalists in the East and controlled China allowing the CCP to grow its support base in the south
- Mao used propaganda to display the failings of the Nationalists
Therefore, Mao and Hitler’s success due to the war
However, it was way more important for Mao as he was directly involved in it.
Economics
1919- Ian Kershaw –> Hitler’s rise to power –> not due to him or what he did but rather external factors such as the Wall Street Crash
Suzanne Pepper –> put Mao’s success on the eruption and economic crisis that China found itself in during the Civil War.
In Germany –> Great Depression –> due to Wall Street crash –> Germany dependent on US loans
1932 Unemployment reached 6 million
Gave Hitler another platform to gain rapport by telling the German people he would resolve Germany’s economic problems
