Nazi propaganda

The first album especially shows the skilful use of propaganda by the Nazi regime. A wonderful life of noble comradeship and heroism is alluded to the young men and women in Germany, in order to seduce them to join the SA or the SS. For the many poor and unemployed this is a world difficult to resist.

The SA – the Sturmabteilung – (advanced guard unit), founded in 1921 by Adolf Hitler, was originally a protection group. Their task was to protect the Nazi Party meetings and to intimidate political opponents. They simply started as “bouncers”. Their members wore brown shirts; a red band with a swastika was tied around the upper arm.

During the 1920s and the 30s they terrorised the streets. Their victims were mainly socialists, communists and the Jewish part of the population.

A former infantry captain, Ernst Röhm, was the leading commander from the start. He was executed on 30 June 1934 by the SS : known as the Night of the Long Knives. He was accused of having criticised Hitler.

In 1926 a special defence force was created to protect Adolf Hitler: the SS (the Schutzstaffel or Defence Unit). Heinrich Himmler was commander of this paramilitary elite organisation. The SS is considered as the most cruel and brutal branch of the Nazi organisation. Their members were in charge of the guarding of the concentration camps. During the Nürnberg trials the SS was designated as a criminal organisation.

Click here to view the album Nazi propaganda