Which of the following was the more important reason why the Nazis were able to keep control of Germany:fear and violence or propaganda. Explain your answer with reference to both bullet points.

The repeated use of propaganda was a key characteristic of the Nazi’s rule. Joseph Goebbels, as Minister of Propaganda, oversaw a massive campaign that encompassed posters, radio broadcasts, newspaper stories, films and rallies, all with the goal of indoctrinating the German people. Propaganda was designed specifically to make Germans think a certain way and one of the messages the Nazis wanted the public to accept was of loyalty to the Fuhrer and secondly, how Germany was rapidly returning to its former status as an economically dominant global power. These were important for keeping control of Germany. If people increasingly began to believe that Hitler was an almost semi-divine figure, they would be increasingly compliant and not protest at anything the Nazis were doing, simply because the people would assume it had to be the right course of action as Hitler could never be wrong. On top of that, Nazi propaganda relentlessly trumpeted the economic and military rejuvenation of the country. This was important as people would not seek to get rid of the Nazis if everyone thought they were doing an amazing job. Persuading people that they had lifted the country out of the depression and had reversed the humiliations of the Treaty of Versailles were thus one way they maintained control. 

However it’s important to understand that just because they produced vast quantities of propaganda it doesn’t mean that it was hugely successful. The reason we must not exaggerate the impact of propaganda as an explanation of why they maintained control is because if it was so successful, why did the Nazis fail to achieve any meaningful success in the 1920s. The answer lies in the fact that propaganda tends to work best on people who are susceptible to it i.e. those who are now willing to listen to the arguments the Nazis were trying to make. There are numerous examples of disgruntled workers detailed in SOPADE* reports as well as SD reports, complaining about the ever increasing hours they had to work and the lack of consumer items in the shops. Thus it is more accurate to say that propaganda was an important means of control for some, but not all of the population.

The Nazi regime, like all authoritarian regimes, relied on fear and the threat of violence to keep people in line. Backed up by numerous police agencies such as the Gestapo and SD, a biased judicial system and a network of concentration camps, everyone knew that to do anything that could draw attention to yourself as someone who opposed the Nazis was asking for trouble. The arrest and imprisonment of numerous trade union leaders, as well as political rivals from the KPD and SPD immediately reduced the likelihood of opposition to the Nazis from materialising as there were simply fewer around to push any kind of counter narrative. In addition, these arrests were also done to send a very public message that opposition would result in arrest and imprisonment, further encouraging any potential dissenters toremain silent. The Nazis deliberately fostered a climate of fear with informants everywhere so people never knew who they could trust, further limiting the possibility of rebellion against their rule. Of the many thousands who were arrested many were imprisoned and even those who were released were often badly assaulted by the Gestapo so that the public would see what would happen to them if they dared step out of line.

So in conclusion, it was the culture of fear and possible violence against ordinary citizens that was the more important reason as to why the Nazis were able to maintain control. Propaganda, whilst successful in creating loyalty in some, did not work on everyone and yet those who were disgruntled, never rebelled in any meaningful way so another explanation as to why they didn’t must be sought. Their lack of opposition to the regime can therefore be better explained by the fear of brutal reprisals if it failed. Understandably, in an age where coordinating mass rebellion all at once was all but impossible, it is hardly suprising that almost no one tried to rebel.