Censorship in Nazi Germany and the USSR

1. In comparison:Methods of censorship in Nazi-Germany and in the U.S.S.R. Hanna Fischer

2. I. Methods of Censorship in Nazi-Germany

3. The Nazi-Regime 1933-1945 • 1930-1933 „Kampfzeit“ of NSDAP (Nazi-party) • 1933-1934 “Machtergreifung” (seizure of power), Adolf Hitler as “Führer” • 1933-1939 Establishing of a totalitarian, fascist, racist and cruel state: the “Deutsche Reich” • 1939-1945 World War II.

4. Aspects of the Nazi-Regime • Control • Party (NSDAP) • Ideology • Propaganda • Holocaust • Industry • War • Enemies • …

5. Propaganda • Celebrities and institutions • „Gleichschaltung“ • Control of media through three levels • Résumé

6. 1. Celebrities and institutions „News policy is a weapon of war and not to give out information.“ Joseph Goebbels

7. 1. Celebrities and institutions Joseph Goebbels • unique position of power • Minister of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda • different other sub-positions

8. 1. Celebrities and institutions Responsibility for „all tasks of spiritual direction of the nation“: Ministry of Popular Enlightenment and Propaganda • active propaganda • supervision of radio, film, press, theatre • protection of works of art and memorials • regulation of state celebrations and holidays • control of the whole range of propaganda abroad, foreign press and tourist traffic

9. 1. Celebrities and institutions Overlapping of competences and confusion of direction state organization (ministry) trade organization („trade unions“) party organization (NSDAP)

10. 1. Celebrities and institutions • Otto Dietrich • Hitler‘s good friend • Head of NSDAP Press • other press positions Max Amann the dictator of the German publishing • owned publishing house • Chairman of the Union of German Newspaper Publishers • Secretary of the Press Chamber and different other positions

11. 1. Celebrities and institutions Over-organization, rivalry, animosities and overlapping of competences • made press control system complex and complicated • could provide little holes

12. 1. Celebrities and institutions Goebbels‘ principles of propaganda Principle 9: about the use of censorship • credibility: „In excited and strained times the hunger for news must somehow be satisfied.“ • for moral‘s sake: undesirable reactions on news must be prevented • no risks: information about the outcome of a development insufficient?

13. Propaganda • Celebrities and institutions • „Gleichschaltung“ • Control of media through three levels • Résumé

14. 2. „Gleichschaltung“ „Gleichschaltung“ (= Achievement of uniformity) • the federal states, organizations, intitutions, parties, unions, …, every single citizen were adjusted to the nazi-policy and ideology • centralisation of all propaganda-activities and media implied the elimination of every alternative source of information

15. 2. „Gleichschaltung“ Re-organization of media and press systems: • 1) „Gleichschaltung“ of the press: • a slow, costly and labories process • press was seen as • „exponent of the liberal spirit, the product and instrument of the French Revolution“

16. 2. „Gleichschaltung“ 2) „Gleichschaltung“ of the film industry and broadcasting: • easier and impressive results • film: • special patronage by Goebbels (producer) • UFA company • gap-less control (prescriptive and restrictive)

17. 2. „Gleichschaltung“ • radio: • most coveted medium • seen as „essentially authoritarian“ and therefore suitable as „a spiritual weapon of the totalitarian state“ • „Volksempfänger“ („Goebbels‘ snout“) • Hitler‘s speeches and „Das Wunschkonzert“

18. Propaganda • Celebrities and institutions • „Gleichschaltung“ • Control of media through three levels • Résumé

19. 3. Control of media through 3 levels The „Gleichschaltung“ was gained through 3 levels of control: • legislative-institutional level • level of contents • economical level example: press (film and radio comparable, even more controled)

20. 3. Control of media through 3 levels • legislative-institutional level 30. Jan 1933 • „Machtergreifung“ (seizure of power) of NSDAP • Hitler as Chancellor

21. 3. Control of media through 3 levels February 1933 („Reichstag fire“) Emergency acts „For the protection of the German people and state“: • abolition of basic human rights: • freedom of opinion and expression • freedom of press, association and assembly • freedom of communication (mail & telephone) • suppression of all Communist, SPD and liberal newspapers 1933 4,703 newspapers in Germany (6% NSDAP) 1944 977 newspapers (82% NSDAP, 100% controled)

22. 3. Control of media through 3 levels „Schriftleiter-law“ (Schriftleiter = Germanized word for journalist) October 1933 • all journalist became civil servants • list of licenced journalists • admission: „arische“ descent and political reliability • duty to keep everything away from the newspapers that is against the „honour and dignity of a German“

23. 3. Control of media through 3 levels „Schriftleiter“-law • no editorial independence at all • law gave Goebbels an instrument for the achievement of a complete uniformity of press • no need for cencorship

24. 3. Control of media through 3 levels Image of the ideal editor: • journalist • propagandist • speaker • SA trooper • newspaperman • absolvent of the „Reichspresseschule“ in one person + eagerly supporting the „Führer“

25. 3. Control of media through 3 levels • level of contents „Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro“ (DNB = „Darf Nichts Bringen“) • official news agency • How to write what, when, where and in which colour?

26. 3. Control of media through 3 levels „Berlin Press Conferences“ • dispension of information • selected journalists • issue of Goebbels‘ orders • secret press directives

27. 3. Control of media through 3 levels • economical level • Nazi-Party had monopolies in all media branches • restriction on last private publishing houses  economical ruin + taking-over

28. 3. Control of media through 3 levels (the 4th level: violence and naked fear) • Gestapo • SS-troops • SA-troops • KZ (Concentration camps) • …

29. „Where books are burnt, there, finally, people will be burnt, too!“ Heinrich Heine

30. 10. May 1933: Burning of books • students‘ „Action against the un-German spirit“ • index lists in public places • first: 131 authors (Sigmund Freud, Albert Einstein, Berthold Brecht, Erich Maria Remarque, Karl Marx, etc.) • regular updates

31. Propaganda • Celebrities and institutions • „Gleichschaltung“ • Control of media through three levels • Résumé

32. 4. Résumé The Nazis interfered in every aspect of public and private life to an extent unknown in Germany‘s history. press family work housing education All bore the Nazi stamp. holidays radio films thoughts? believe? health

33. 4. Résumé After the first two years there was nothing left that could be censored: • Every expression was controlled by Nazis. • Every expression uttered and heard was produced by Nazis. • Every piece of news was created by Nazis.  the prescriptive censorship made a restrictive one (nearly) unnecessary

34. II. Comparison to the U.S.S.R.

35. U.S.S.R. • ideology • historical development of the U.S.S.R. • ideological • economical • interlectual • centralized state bureaucracy

36. Institutional level

37. Legislative level

38. Level of contents

39. Clandistine press

40. Conclusion (prescriptive, restrictive and self-) Censorship was/is a necessary consequence of state monopoly in the means of communication. Who controls expression, controls the people!

41. Conclusion The methods of Nazi-Germany and the USSR were very alike: elaborated propahanda/ cencorship systems Two systems with two different ideologies, but the same aim: complete power over the people.