Joseph Gobbels

Joseph Gobbles

Dr. Joseph Gobbles played a crucial role in influencing and controlling the opinions of German people he was Reich Minister for Popular Enlightment and Propeganda. In the words of   Niall Ferguson he was the evi genius of the 20th century marketing.
Gobbles understood that in order for his propeganda to be effective he needed to gain contro of media; newspapers, cinema and the radio were his targets. He wanted to put across the idea of a better Germany with Hitler and the new Nazi state. Control of media would allow the Nazis to present events as it suited them and in response it would eliminate critisism of Nazis.
In the 1920's radio was extremely popular it was Gobbels who called this 'most modern instrument for infuencing the masses.' The Reich Radio Chamber was established to give the propeganda ministry complete control   of content and hiring/firing of all radio staff. Everyone working in radio must have been a member of this new organistation and all stations were controlled by them and all news bulletins were provided by the propeganda ministry. Dr. Gobbles knew that mass radio broad casting was important to provide the people with the Nazi message. Cheap sets called Volksempfánger (the peoples radio) were built meaning that by 1939, 70% of househods owned a radio the highest in the world. These sets were designed to only be able to recieve local German stations but you could isten to the BBC with some difficulty this was made an offense during the war. Radio wardens would arrange for a speech by Hitler to be broadcast over loudspeakers in schools, factories and offices and they would monitor reactions. However, not all radio stations were made up of Nazi propeganda Gobbels knew they would find this boring so popular music dominated the radio when propeganda was not in play.
Controlling the literature of people was also very important in Josephs eyes. Nazis were determined to controll the content of what people read so that they complied...