The Tell with Christine Axsmith

The Tell with Christine Axsmith

Share this post

The Tell with Christine Axsmith
The Tell with Christine Axsmith
Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda #16

Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda #16

Christine Axsmith's avatar
Christine Axsmith
Dec 31, 2023
∙ Paid
2

Share this post

The Tell with Christine Axsmith
The Tell with Christine Axsmith
Goebbels' Principles of Propaganda #16
Share

Keep them Afraid

PROPAGANDA TO THE HOME FRONT MUST CREATE AN OPTIMUM ANXIETY LEVEL

person in white and black crew neck shirt wearing white knit cap
Photo by Jakayla Toney on Unsplash

Extremes are rarely desirable. Apparently, that includes propaganda aimed at your own people.

Domestic propaganda needs balanced, according to Hitler’s propaganda chief. Goebbels felt that propaganda aimed at your own population needed to keep them anxious - but not too anxious. The goal was just enough fear to keep control, and not so much that the targets panic. The same tactic is used today. Enough fear to vote and buy trinkets, but not so much they stay at home in gloominess.

Share The Tell with Christine Axsmith

Propaganda must reinforce anxiety concerning the consequences of defeat

The battle needs to be, at least in the minds of the targets, a “fight for their very lives,” see Goebbels’ Principles of Propaganda by Leonard Doob, that “they must fight it with their entire strength.” That was the basis for asking Germans to sacrifice as much as the Nazi regime needed. Keeping them willing to do it was the goal of German domestic propaganda campaigns. It made anxiety the foundation of voluntary suffering.

The true Nazi vulnerability was the appeal of peace to wartime Germans...

The Tell with Christine Axsmith is a reader-supported publication. To receive new posts and support my work, consider becoming a free or paid subscriber.

Keep reading with a 7-day free trial

Subscribe to The Tell with Christine Axsmith to keep reading this post and get 7 days of free access to the full post archives.

Already a paid subscriber? Sign in
© 2025 Christine Axsmith
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start writingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture

Share