Emergence: Methods used to achieve Hitler's power Notes

Propaganda and Charisma

1. From 1929, Joseph Goebbels transformed Nazi propaganda into a coordinated national machine, using newspapers like Der Angriff, radio, loudspeakers, posters, torchlight parades, and mass rallies to create a sense of unstoppable momentum.
2. The "Hitler over Germany" 1932 campaign, which saw Hitler flying to multiple cities in a single day, allowed him to reach millions of Germans and reinforced the image of a modern, tireless leader.
3. Hitler’s oratory was carefully staged, beginning calmly, building in intensity, and ending in emotional crescendos that convinced audiences he understood their grievances and could provide solutions.
4. The Nazis cultivated Führer worship, presenting Hitler as infallible and indispensable through photographs, films, and speeches that emphasised his supposed personal sacrifice for Germany.
5. Links with media magnate Alfred Hugenberg gave the NSDAP access to the UFA film network and a national press platform, boosting reach into middle-class and rural audiences.
6. Party propaganda linked Hitler to Germany’s future revival, portraying him as the only man capable of restoring national pride lost at Versailles.

Violence and Intimidation

1. The SA (Sturmabteilung), founded in 1921, was instrumental in projecting Nazi strength, breaking up opponents’ meetings, guarding Nazi rallies, and engaging in violent confrontations with communist groups.
2. Street battles between the SA and the Rotfrontkämpferbund (RFB) were frequent by the late 1920s, creating a sense that parliamentary politics had failed and that only force could restore order.
3. The failed Beer Hall Putsch (1923), while a tactical defeat, became a propaganda asset during Hitler’s trial, when his speeches gained nationwide attention and framed him as a nationalist martyr.