Spiral of Silence is a theory which suggests that media influences people, and the Nazi’s campaign during World WarⅡis a good example.
Adolf Hitler is known for his skillful speeches, but his propaganda also helped the party get a large amount of support from the citizens. This clip of footage is an example of Nazi propaganda from 1939, which shows German military maneuvers of tanks, troops, and combat planes. It suggests that the Nazi party is superior to other countries and displays their great source of power. It says that their combat planes can even fly under bad weather conditions. It also describes that people are watching the sky with some fear, but at the same time they are smiling for hope and faith. The film is made with brave music and emphasizes the Nazi’s military strength. Also, it shows German tanks moving in to attack the
Nazis used not only films, but also other media such as newspapers, radio and magazines. The magazine “Signal” was a magazine which was published by the Nazi party from 1940 to 1945. It published about 2,500, 000 copies and was about German’s with a modern blend of articles and pictures about stories from the battlefield. Also, it showed pictures of extreme weapons which other countries avoided showing.
The media repeated themselves all the time, including similar values and beliefs, such as the view that the German army was superior in many ways. Also, people could get information everywhere through different types of media. Once they turned on the radio, they could get information by ear, and once they got the newspapers or magazines, they could get information through sight. In addition, films give people information by both visual and auditory means.
Because of the media’s influence, the Nazi party received tremendous support from its citizens. On the other hand, minority groups closed their mouths because they feared isolation from society. It is no surprise that everyone thought that non-Aryan people were inferior to Aryan people. How could everyone agree that its anti-Zionism? The society formed this idea, and the majority of people were willing to speak out, while minority groups spoke less. They were afraid of isolation from the society, and this concept reinforced the Nazi party. The majority had confidence, so they spoke out much more. They published several news papers and magazines, and used other media such as radio and films in order to display their convictions. Therefore, it could be said that these forms of media were the most effective weapons of the Nazi party.
3 comments:
It's easy to see how the Spiral of Silence theory could grip a nation of people at the time of war. Wartime can be very polarizing, especially when a silent minority of dissenters are interspersed among vocal supporters.
The Nazi campaign produced a multitude of media in an effort to bolster their support and popularity in Germany during the 1930's.
The sample clip of propaganda could easily invoke a fear of isolation into any citizen. It not only demonstrates the Nazi's growing military power, but attempts to shave favorable light on their campaign.
All of the factors from the train test had obvious influence during the time of Nazi Germany. Last-minute swings were particularly popular because of Germany's success and because the physical pressure that the Nazi's put on dissenters.
This video is a great example of how a superior group uses media to influence an inferior group. Especially during a time of peril, people look for hope from people of power. Watching the video, listening to the music, and seeing the images in the video I can only imagine how the people felt then. The video portrays not only bravery like the author said, but also confidence. During the war, showing strength and confidence goes a long way. For the people that saw through the propaganda, however, they felt forced to silence themselves due to the mass broadcast of the Nazi party. Everywhere they turned there was some form of propaganda around the corner.
I really enjoyed this post because it looked at a theory through a historical lens. It's easy to judge a nation for not taking action and protecting its own citizens, but it's important to look at the cultural and communication factors which led a country to remain silent while its countrymen were being slaughtered. I also think this post is valuable because it forces us to think about how the Spiral of Silence theory might be affecting our own actions in regard to current events of our time.
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