Joseph Goebbels
Adolf Hitler’s right-hand-man was Joseph Goebbels. He was a German politician, who supported Hitler and the Nazi party in World War II. Goebbels was born in 1897 in western Germany and he joined the Nazi party in 1922. He was soon appointed as the head of the Nazi propaganda machine, taking full control of the Third Reich’s control media. He was a key influence in convincing people to support Hitler, as he used his persuasive public relations skills to push Nazi messages. He also implemented racial and social laws, which saw Jews being denied basic rights and discriminated against.
Goebbels was known for his dedication to Hitler and he was known for his loyalty and obedience for him, even when faced with extreme danger. Goebbels was awarded the Office of the Grand Cross of the German Order of the Eagle. It is said that Goebbels was always in Hitler’s inner circle, and this is evident by the fact that he was one of only two men to be present when Hitler committed suicide. He also helped in the implementation of the infamous euthanasia program, used as a way of disposing of those deemed disabled or racially unworthy.
The most significant role of Joseph Goebbels in Hitler’s government was the control of media. In 1933 he became the Plenipotentiary of Propaganda and National Enlightenment, giving him control of all media and arts, including films, newspapers, radio and theatre. Goebbels used his control of the media to control public opinion, by using propaganda and censorship. This meant that anyone who disagreed with Hitler was silenced and was not able to share their opinion.
Goebbels took a radical approach to running the media, by banning all forms of outside media, such as books, films and radio shows. He used his control of the media to push Nazi ideology, and make it the only acceptable belief for those living in the Third Reich. Thus, Hitler’s personal views were pushed forward to the entire population.
Moreover, Goebbels was also involved in politics, serving in the Reichstag from 1928 until the fall of the Nazi regime. In addition, in the final year of his life he also became Chancellor of Germany. He was responsible for leading Germany following Hitler’s death and tried to use his control over the media to keep the German people from losing faith in the Nazi regime.
In the last days of World War II, Goebbels and his wife chose to take their own lives, along with their six children, rather than face capture or death by the Allied forces. This further emphasizes Goebbels’ loyalty and dedication to Hitler, to the very end.
Alfred Rosenberg
Alfred Rosenberg, born in 1893 in Estonia, was another right-hand-man of Hitler. He was an early member of the Nazi party and he also joined in 1921. Initially, he helped to spread the word of the party by distributing pamphlets and speaking at events. He became the party’s leading ideologist and was seen as the leading philosopher of their movement. Rosenberg was the chief editor of newspaper, Völkischer Beobachter, and wrote many books on Nazi ideology.
In 1930, Rosenberg was appointed as the German Minister for the Eastern Occupied Territories, and he began implementing policies in an effort to Germanize occupied territories and exterminate Jewish people. He was an influential figure in the Holocaust, as he argued for the removal of Jews from Germany and other occupied countries. He was also one of the key figures behind the implementation of labor camps, which were initially used as sites for Jews to do forced labor.
Rosenberg also had a hand in foreign policy, as he was Germany’s envoy to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Romania. He used this role to advocate for Germany’s annexation of the Baltic states, and to promote their interests in the East. He was also one of the main contributors in writing the infamous document, Mein Kampf.
Rosenberg was also one of the leading voices behind the Nuremberg Laws, which were laws that removed Jews from German citizenship. He argued heavily for their implementation and actively campaigned for them to be put into motion. These laws were one of the leading causes of the Holocaust as they removed all Jews from the protection of the state.
After the fall of the Nazi regime, Rosenberg was arrested and tried at the Nuremberg trials. He was found guilty of war crimes, crimes against humanity and other crimes and was sentenced to death by hanging.
Heinrich Himmler
Heinrich Himmler was another one of Hitler’s right-hand men, who held a prominent role in the Nazi regime. He was born 1900 in western Germany and he joined the Nazi party in 1923. He was appointed as the head of the SS in 1929, which was the Nazi party’s paramilitary police force. However, by the end of World War II his role had expanded to include many aspects of the regime, and he was the second most powerful man in the Nazi state.
Himmler was the overseer of the concentration camps, playing an important role in the implementation of mass murder. He was also responsible for the policy of racial purity, as he was charged with making sure that Jews and other ‘undesirables’ were removed from society. Himmler also had a hand in the Gestapo and the SD, which were the secret state police and the political intelligence agency respectively.
In addition, Himmler was Hitler’s confidant, as he was always at his side; he was present at many important state events and was always available to give advice. He provided security for Hitler and organised his schedule and his personal life. He utilized his power and influence to strengthen the Nazi party and its goals.
Himmler also held a strong interest in the sciences and ancient history. He was the founder of the Ahnenerbe, which was an institute set up to research into Aryan history and culture. It was given a huge budget, as Himmler was adamant that it would help prove the Aryan race’s claim to superiority.
In the last days of World War II, Himmler was arrested by Allied forces. He committed suicide before his trial, due to facing the consequences of his role in the Nazi regime.
Albert Speer
Albert Speer was one of the lesser known right-hand men of Hitler, but he was very influential in his reign. Speer was born in 1905 in western Germany and he joined the Nazi party in 1931, at a relatively late stage. He was an architect, and his abilities allowed him to make a great impression on Hitler and the Nazi party, who were searching for someone talented to redesign Germany’s public spaces. As such, he was appointed by Hitler as the Chief of Construction and Design of the Third Reich.
In this role, Speer was responsible for the design and construction of public buildings and spaces, as well as monuments and airports. He approved the building of the famous National Stadium and the vast new Chancellery building, which was meant to house Hitler. He was also responsible for the design of the Nuremberg rallies, the bellicose public gatherings which solidified the Nazi party’s place in power.
Speer also played an influential role in Hitler’s wartime strategy. He was appointed Minister of Armaments and War Production in 1942 and he was responsible for increasing production and supplying the army with the necessary materials for their war campaigns. He was a major success in this role, vastly increasing weapons production and, in one year, increased the production of explosives to five times the original rate.
After the war, Speer was arrested and tried for war crimes at the Nuremberg trials. He was sentenced to twenty years in prison, but was released early due to his cooperation with the Allies. He ultimately admitted to his mistakes and expressed remorse, although many disagreed with the leniency of his sentence. He died in 1981.
Youth Movements
In the Nazi regime, youth movements played an important role in Hitler’s plan, as children were groomed from an early age to follow the party. The two main movements were the Hitler Youth and the League of German Girls. These groups formed part of Hitler’s Gleichschaltung, which was his plan to unify all German people and entities under the Nazi banner. The groups also formed and upheld the Nazi ideology, as children were taught from a young age to be loyal to the party and hate anyone who fell outside it.
The Hitler Youth, active from 1925 and made mandatory in 1941, was the main movement in Nazi Germany. It was aimed at boys aged between 14 and 18 and was largely focused on physical activities, such as sports and marching. This was thought to instill discipline and create a sense of camaraderie in the youth, while spreading Nazi ideology.
The second movement was the League of German Girls, active from 1931 and mandatory in 1940. This was the branch for girls aged between 10 and 18, and it was largely focused on domesticity, such as cooking and childcare. The role was to prepare young women for marriage and motherhood, and to encourage birth rates amongst ‘racially pure’ German couples.
The youth movements were largely successful, as they were able to reach a large proportion of the youth population. The Gleichschaltung was achieved in part due to the intimidation and indoctrination of young people by thesegroups. However, with the fall of the Nazi party in 1945, the youth movements were disbanded.
Women in Nazi Germany
Women in Nazi Germany faced a significant amount of discrimination and oppression. The Nazi party held a firm belief in keep women primarily in the home, as a wife and mother. Women were seen as inferior and were not allowed to take part in public or political life, and they were heavily discouraged from working outside of the home.
Furthermore, women were subjected to the policy of Gleichschaltung. This was Hitler’s plan to unify all German people and entities under the Nazi banner, and women’s rights and freedoms were limited in an attempt to assimilate them under the government’s rule. Women were also not exempt from the law, as they were forced to register for racial checks prior to marriage and were subjected to racial laws.
Women did, however, achieve some things in the Nazi regime. They were permitted to join the League of German Girls, which allowed them to take part in education, take leadership roles and teach younger members Nazi ideology. Female nurses were also allowed to join the military, as well as take part in medical experiments. However, these rare opportunities were not enough to make up for the extremely restrictive lifestyle faced by women in Nazi Germany.
Anti-Semitic Propaganda
Anti-Semitic propaganda was a key part of the Nazi ideology and it was used to spread hatred of Jews throughout the
