Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda #18

Do You Want Total War?

The “Look Over There” Rule of Messaging

PROPAGANDA MUST FACILITATE THE DISPLACEMENT OF AGGRESSION BY SPECIFYING THE TARGETS FOR HATRED

In his article on Goebbels’ Principles of Propaganda, Leonard Doob noted that the Nazi’s “principal technique seems to have been that of displacing German aggression on to some outgroup.”

Basically, Goebbels blamed:

• The Communists

• The Jews

• The Other Guy - Goebbels created “hostility” between groups within a conquered territory.

Do You Want Total War?

The Sportpalast Speech

In 1943, Germany had just experienced several unpleasant military shocks: the defeat of the German army at Stalingrad and bombing campaigns that led to its cities burning from Allied attacks. These were unpleasant realities that could not be denied through creative storytelling. Goebbels, Germany’s Minister of Propaganda, needed to move the German people into a willingness to continue fighting and endure hardships that were seemingly inevitable. So he opted to blame others for Germany’s situation and explain to the German people why they had to fight and suffer.

[The German people] want everyone, high and low, rich and poor, to share a spartan life style.

Equally, Goebbels wanted even more power within the Nazi regime. Delivering a willing and battle-ready mindset in the population would do that. So Goebbels addressed a stadium full of German people about the state of the war in what has become known as the Sportspalast Speech.