Question

What techniques does Hitler use in this excerpt to influence his readers? What emotions does he seem to be appealing to by using such techniques? Would you call this work propaganda? Why or why not? Support your answers with examples from the text

Answer 1

According to a different source, this question refers to the text "Mein Kampf" by Adolf Hitler.

This work can be considered an example of propaganda for several reasons. First, Hitler wrote this work in order to influence the political opinions of people. He wants to convince them of voting for the Nazi Party and supporting antisemitic policies. Another characteristic is the fact that the information is not given in an accurate or unbiased way. Instead, it is often fallacious, exaggerated or oversimplified.  

Hitler uses several techniques that contribute to the development of an antisemitic feeling. For example, he uses negative images and metaphors to spread lies about the Jewish people and create fear in his audience:

"Here he stops at nothing, and in his vileness he becomes so gigantic that no one need be surprised if among our people the personification of the devil as the symbol of all evil assumes the living shape of the Jew."

Hitler also uses hateful language when describing the supposed acts of the Jews against others. However, he does not provide evidence of these facts, and instead, he overgeneralizes or lies about the characteristics of Jewish people:

"The most frightful example of this kind is offered by Russia, where he killed or starved about thirty million people with positively fanatical savagery, in part amid inhuman tortures, in order to give a gang of Jewish journalists and stock exchange bandits domination over a great people."