Third Reich propaganda success of WW2

[Panzermahn]

Hi,

I would like to know more about some of the Third Reich's successful propaganda campaigns during WW2. I had some examples..

a) The 1942 disastrous Dieppe Raid by the Western Allies. (Joseph Goebbels managed to proclaimed such a fiasco about the disaster of the Anglo-Canadian raid of Dieppe that the British government were forced to counter-proclaimed that it was a "mere excersice with live ammunition which gave Goebbels more ammunition)

b) The 1943 discovery of the Katyn mass grave. (Arguably, the best propaganda campaign by Goebbels for correctly claimed that the Bolsheviks were responsible for the murder of captured Polish officers in 1940. Resulted in the Soviet Government broke off with the Polish Goverment-in-exile which were based in London)

c) The 1943 Allied conference at Yalta with the "unconditional surrender" theme (With this, Goebbels managed, in fact, more than anybody else, to prolonged the war by 2 years more and increased the German people resistance)

d) The 1944-45 Western Allies counter-offensive against the Ardennes offensive. (Goebbels managed to loudly proclaimed that the British Field Marshal Montgomery almost single-handedly beat back the German offensive which enraged American generals. Forced the British propaganda chief to make a formal apology to the Americans)

Anyone got more info about this?

Thanks

[vazel]

c) The 1943 Allied conference at Yalta with the "unconditional surrender" theme (With this, Goebbels managed, in fact, more than anybody else, to prolonged the war by 2 years more and increased the German people resistance)

this is a success? it's the stubborness like this that dragged out the war and cost millions of lives. the rape of berlin would never have happened if peace were negotiated. i know many find glory in how hard the nazis fought to the bitter end but was all that suffering and death worth it?

[maxxx]

[quote="Panzermahn"]

d) The 1944-45 Western Allies counter-offensive against the Ardennes offensive. (Goebbels managed to loudly proclaimed that the British Field Marshal Montgomery almost single-handedly beat back the German offensive which enraged American generals. Forced the British propaganda chief to make a formal apology to the Americans)

[/quote]

I beg your pardon? This was allied jealousy, not goebbels merit: Or do you really thing after such a defeat his main concern was to give so much credit to an enemy commander instead of playing down the german losses?

[Panzermahn]

d) The 1944-45 Western Allies counter-offensive against the Ardennes offensive. (Goebbels managed to loudly proclaimed that the British Field Marshal Montgomery almost single-handedly beat back the German offensive which enraged American generals. Forced the British propaganda chief to make a formal apology to the Americans)

I beg your pardon? This was allied jealousy, not goebbels merit: Or do you really thing after such a defeat his main concern was to give so much credit to an enemy commander instead of playing down the german losses?

In one or the other, Goebbels managed to exaggerate the already wounded schism between the Western Allies

[waffen]

had the advancing panzers had enough fuel and gorings air support which never at all arrived "the allies ", would HAVE LOST ALL OF THE SUPPLYS AND LANDING BASE FOR MOST OF THE MILLIONS OF TROOPS IN EUROPE. MONTYs OWN ADMISSION IN HIS MEMOIRS..................... 8)

[Razjel]

b) The 1943 discovery of the Katyn mass grave. (Arguably, the best propaganda campaign by Goebbels for correctly claimed that the Bolsheviks were responsible for the murder of captured Polish officers in 1940. Resulted in the Soviet Government broke off with the Polish Goverment-in-exile which were based in London)

Hi! I'm interested in the subject of Katyn in German propaganda, do You know any good books or articles about it? Or maybe any sources, like posters, newspaper articles etc.?

[merdiolu]

1) Dieppe Raid for sure. It was a military success for German armed forces ( though it was a small one , nothing critical or vital ) and Goebbels exploited it for sure. Reich Propaganda Ministry claimed "Atlantic Wall defences were unbreakable. No one can pass it etc. If they try result would be like Dieppe."

Problem is that propaganda had somehow backfired on Germans two years later. German nation , German army and even High Command believed this propaganda so much , they swallowed it complately without questioning...( in desperation maybe after military defeats suffered after Aug. 1942 ) When D-Day started in June 1944 and Second Front opened German forces were in no shape to withstand it...German High Command , Staff Officers and field commanders plus a lot of plain German soldiers and officers couldn't see the obvious facts like Allies had air superiority , necessary sea lane transportation and security , incredible logistics , long term planning plus vaunted panzer divisions positoned in wrong locations ....A lot of German officers and troops assumed "it will be like another Dieppe"

2) Katyn mass grave : Agreed. It was a great propaganda coup for Goebbels and Reich Propaganda Ministry. As mentioned because of this discovery and its exploitation , relations between Polish Gov. in exile ( London ) and Soviet Gov. broke of and tensions raised between Soviet Union and Western Allies...Allied goverments barely minimized damage and ignored Polish claims..As a result during Warshaw Uprising ( 1944 ) Red Army didn't lift a finger to help Polish Resistance

3 ) "Unconditional Surrender" theme came up first during Casablanca Conferance in January 1943. Again Goebbels used it to motivate German nation in desperation BUT contrary to everyone assumed I think this was a necessary and sound proclamation for Allies. They needed to show their own nations ( US , Great Britain ) , allies ( Soviet Union ) and neutrals where they stand in political and strategical means...There would be no compromise , no seperate peace with Hitler or Nazi regime , nor a with Fascist Italy and Imperial Japan...Considering what Germans and Japanese were doing in occupied territories and German / Japansese disregard for international diplomacy and treaties , it gave Allies a moral high ground. They just could not trust Hitler and Japanese militarist goverments anymore. Allied goverments needed to show that. It showed unity between Allies. They also needed to display to every one that they are winning now and they could look future in confidance... As for prolonging the war....I think that a hope of seperate peace with Hitler and Nazis would also give Goebbels and his propaganda machine necessary fuel. That kind of hope would also feed German motivation to resist and prolong the war until Allies quit. And to do an actual seperate peace with Hitler and Nazis was complately out of question as it should be in 1943-1944. Hitler's foreign policy always exploited the cracks between unity of Allies and would-be-Allied-Goverments...( just look Munich Conf. , Nazi-Soviet Pact etc ) By taking Soviet Russia at their side Allies had a fair chance of winning against Third Reich in that period. It would be madness for them to throw away that strategic superiority...

4) German propaganda against UK / USA military and diplomatic alliance was largely ineffective after 1943...They threw up usually ineffective slogans like "Why do you fight for Jews ? etc" Anti-Semitizm was not even a big issue in Western Allies during that time. When Reich Propaganda Ministry broadcasted a fake criticsm of American strategic/tactical command during Battle of Bulge , I think it gained more than it bargained for. There was no way Goebbels knew of disagreements between British and American commanders during that time. They just got lucky with that broadcast along with Montgomery 's continious insistance to Eisenhower for unified single command of Allied armies and a single thrust in Western Front. Fortunetely Eisenhower with his usual diplomatic skill repaired the damage. Montgomery backed up. A few days later this whole matter was buried and forgotten by Allied commanders anyway...

[tigre]

Hello to all ; about Dieppe...........................

Propaganda - Operation Jubilee or the Dieppe Raid (19 August 1942).

Source: https://www.aboutww2militaria.com/en/th ... -full.html

Cheers. Raúl M .

[Ponury]

had the advancing panzers had enough fuel and gorings air support which never at all arrived "the allies ", would HAVE LOST ALL OF THE SUPPLYS AND LANDING BASE FOR MOST OF THE MILLIONS OF TROOPS IN EUROPE. MONTYs OWN ADMISSION IN HIS MEMOIRS..................... 8)

Monty is unreliable. The blame for the failed "Market Garden" of his idea was laid, among others, by against the Polish General Sosabowski. Smartass...

[David Thompson]

Let's stay on topic.