Nazi Culture Flashcards
1
Q
What were the aims of propaganda?
(4)
A
- Weltanschauung; world view, spread ideology
- Gleichschaltung; coordination, every aspect of life met aims of Nazi policy
- to glorify the regime
- to censor all that went against the regime
2
Q
What kind of cinema existed during the Nazi regime?
(5)
A
- film remained innovative; experimented with creative cinematographic techniques (Leni Riefenstahl)
- pure escapism (majority); ‘The Adventures of Baron Von Münchelhaussen’, no American imports
- emotive nationalism; ‘Olympia’
- overt propaganda (minority); ‘The Triumph of the Will’, ‘The Eternal Jew’
–>1933-1945, 1097 feature films released, only 96 made specifically at the request of the Propaganda Ministry
3
Q
How did the Nazis control cinema?
(3)
A
- Jews removed as actors and directors early in regime
- RMVP (state company) gradually controlled cinema production; bought shares of film companies
- 1942, all film companies were nationalised
4
Q
What was the Nazi attitude towards music?
(4)
A
- adored Wagner; also antisemitic, tales of old German myths
- banned great German composers that were Jewish; eg. Mahler + Mendelssohn
- banned modern musical trends; eg. Jazz
- Nazis made no contribution to music
5
Q
What was the Nazi attitude towards literature?
(3)
A
- Nazi endorsed literature was often of poor quality
- 10th May 1933, mass book burning of 25,000 books
- many writers left Germany when the Nazis came to power; eg. Thomas Mann (Jewish) + Bertolt Brecht
6
Q
What was the Nazi attitude towards the visual arts?
(6)
A
- used to propagate Nazi values; militarism, discipline, hard work
- pictured Aryan people
- accessible
- fascination with neo-classical art; often pictured naked body, fascination with the perfect human form
- contempt for modern schools of art; Otto Dix + George Grosz were censored
- 1937, held two parallel exhibitions in Munich; of ‘Great German Art’ and of ‘Degenerate Art’ –> German art less popular than degenerate
7
Q
What was the Nazi attitude towards architecture?
(5)
A
- reaction against Neue Sachlichkeit + obvious modernism; disliked Bauhaus
- Nazi designs were based on simplified versions of Neo-Classical buildings
- similar to Bauhaus as used concrete and straight lines
- inspired by ancient Rome; People’s dome was based on the Pantheon, used many arches
- Hitler had planned to rebuild Berlin as the new city of Germania by 1950; to show power, Speer put in charge but little achieved
8
Q
What were other forms of propaganda?
(4)
A
- posters
- youth groups + education
- major sporting events; 1936 Olympics in Berlin
- economy + employment; strength through joy & autobahns
9
Q
How did the Nazis control the press?
(3)
A
- difficult to control as many local newspapers with strong regional identities; 1933, 4,700 daily newspapers
- Nazis set up publishing house Eher Verlag; gradually bought up small local newspapers
- 1933, Editor’s Law; editors were made solely responsible for the content of their newspapers –> acted as censors for their own papers
10
Q
Eher Verlag stats
A
–> 1939, Eher Verlag had bought 69% of local newspapers
–> 1944, Eher Verlag had bought 82% of local newspapers
11
Q
What was radio like in the Nazi regime?
(3)
A
- radio was broadcast everywhere; public places, cafes etc.
- the regime controlled radio broadcasts and radios had a limited range
- The People’s Reciever was cheap = increased ownership of radio; 1932 25% access to radio VS 1939 70% (highest globally)
12
Q
Propaganda organisations
(3)
A
- Mar 1933, created RMVP; Ministry of Popular Enlightenment & Propaganda
- Sept 1933, Göbbels set up RKK; Reichskulturkammer/ Reich Culture Chamber, all who dealt with art had to be members, chamber could refusese to publish degenerate art
- Göbbels was the propaganda chief
13
Q
Antisemitic Propaganda
(2)
A
- enforced image of Jewish people as greedy, dirty, subhuman
- 1939, Jews gathered in ghettos with little food, water or electricity –> used to further enforce antisemitic image of Jews
14
Q
Different groups that benefitted from the Nazis
A
- wealthy industrialists; KPD + TUs banned
- middle class; economic stability
- people who applied to ‘Germanise’ an area and were given land; otherwise wouldn’t have been able to own farmland etc.
15
Q
How did the war affect support for the Nazi regime?
(3)
A
- beginning; great success of the German army in Europe = much support
- 1941, invasion of USSR = support kept going –> people collected money for Nazi charities or joined the Einsatzgruppen
- became harder for ordinary people to support the Nazis; living conditions deteriorated & Allied bombing devastated cities
