Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda #17

PROPAGANDA TO THE HOME FRONT MUST DIMINISH THE IMPACT OF FRUSTRATION

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Preventing False Hope

The Nazi propagandist Joseph Goebbels kept a book of notes on his thoughts about propaganda - what worked and what to avoid. Leonard Doob later wrote an article summarizing these principles in an article for Public Opinion Quarterly (Fall 1950).

Goebbels’ 17th propaganda principle coaches adherents to use hope to keep targets acting in useful ways for the Third Reich.

Hope is a powerful drug. It can get people to do all kinds of things, to put up with all kinds of conditions. Like: He’s going to stop and we’ll go back to the way to used to be…. You get it.

Install Mental Cushions to Avoid Shock

Goebbels advised that shock was an important element in hurting morale, so it was important for any successful propagandist to anticipate possible shocks and inoculate the target population in advance. From the article:

The German people were gradually given "some intimation that the end is in sight" as the fighting in Tunisia drew to a close. They likewise received advance hints whenever a reduction in food rations was contemplated; the actual announcement, nevertheless, always disturbed them.

The shock itself is debilitating. Sure, the peasants are disgruntled. Just as long as they are not reaching for their pitchforks, we’ll stay in power, is the thinking here.

Inevitable frustrations must be anticipated

Logistics and war determine whether civilian supplies get to people. Sometimes there’s going to be problems. No press release or news report is going to convince someone that they’ve been fed when they haven’t.