Joseph Goebbels
Born October 29, 1897 in Rheydt, Germany, died May 1, 1945 in Berlin. He was the Minister of Propaganda, one of the highest ranking positions during Nazi Germany. Who exactly was this man and how did he get this job?
Goebbels held a doctorate degree in philology. This is a very important fact. There are a few definitions for philology but the most pertinent would be, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, "the study of human speech especially as the vehicle of literature and as a field of study that sheds light on cultural history."
During the fall of 1924, Goebbels started socializing with National Socialists. National Socialist members recognized his gift as an orator. It comes as no surprise that Goebbels quickly moved up the heirarchy within Hitler's group. When Hitler came into power in 1933, Goebbels seized the "national propaganda machinery." The National Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda was created by Hitler for Goebbels. Hitler admired Goebbel's ability to give convincing speeches and bamboozle the minds of Germans. Like I mentioned about Cicero in my previous post, Goebbels was a proficient orator. To be among the upper echeleons of society, this is a necessary skill. If you watch videos of him, you'll see him flail his hands about while giving an impassioned speech.
If you click on the link and watch the video, look at 1:04 minutes into the film. You will see the power of his oratory skills.
His tightly controlled propaganda was so useful in convincing Germans that everything was the Jew's fault and that Hitler could do no wrong. He made convincing and poignant films, advocating the greatness of Germany and its perfect citizenry.
Goebbels and his wife, at the end of WWII under the threat of allied forces coming for him and other leaders, killed his six children and themselves.
Until next time on Small Samples of History,
Ryan
Comments
Post a Comment