Germany: From a Democracy to a Dictatorship

...

created around the same time as the SA. The SS believed that they “ought to represent not only Germany’s military elite but also the nation’s racial elite.” They would come to be known as the “chiefs of terror and mass murder”. They spied on Germans, arrested, interrogated anyone they chose to be enemies of the state, and worked in the concentration camps. Lastly, under the leadership of Hermann Göring the secret police or Gestapo were allowed to “protect public safety and order” by also spying on the citizens and sending people to concentration camps. Clearly the Nazis used stormtroopers, elite guards, and secret police to intimidate and silence anyone they deemed to be a threat.

Hitler shaped the opinions of the people to bring upon his dictatorship. According to historian Robert Gellately, Hitler did not want to draw out the German people but win them over by building on popular images, and fears in the country they had held onto for a long time. Next Hitler created The Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda. The Nazis used propaganda to spread biased or misleading information. In addition, The Reich Ministry of Public set out to coordinate radio programs, textbooks,

artwork, newspaper and even sermons. Crafting language and imagery carefully to praise Nazi policies as well as demonize those the Nazis considered enemies to the point where artists would censor themselves just to gain favor and avoid punishment. So, it is clear that Hitler shaped the opinion of the public by creating the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, coordinating every form of expression, and building on popular images.