Joseph Goebbles- Minister For Propaganda Essay, Research Paper

Paul Joseph Goebbles

Paul Joseph Goebbles was born on the 29th October 1897, in Rheydt, in the Rhineland. His father was a pheasant farmer, and his mother was a French woman. Both of his parents were strict Roman Catholics.

Goebbles was extremely academically successful throughout his life. This compensated for his physical appearance. He had a crippled foot and a permanent limp. These inadequacies affected him psychologically, and he felt that he could not ‘’serve his country” in the First World War when he was rejected from the German army because of his deformity. This was a taunt that stayed with him all of his life.

As his pursuits to serve his country in the war failed to succeed, Goebbles dedicated his time and energy to studying. For three years (1917 – 1921), he studied germanics, history, literature, and philosophy, in Freiburg, Bonn, Wurzburg, Cologne, Munich, and Heidelburg. In Heidelburg, Goebbles studied forma Jewish historian of literature. This disadvantaged him later in his career, as people called him a ”pupil of the Jesuits, and a half French man”. This indicated that he was not of pure German blood. This contradicted his work, as his job was to turn people against the Jews, and to make a population of ‘blonde-haired and blue-eyed’ people.

After World War 1, Goebbles tried to become a write, but his books, were unpopular, and so he tried to be journalist. The next year, he was appointed as business manager of the North Rhineland. During this time, Goebbles became increasingly involved in politics.

Goebbles became the leading propagandist for the Nazi party during the 1930’s. He first heard Hitler speak in 1922, in Munich. At once, he recognised the man as being similar to himself. Both had had false starts in life, both men had the same ambition of being popular, and having their opinions and thoughts listened to and agreed by others.

Goebbles befriended Hitler, in his attempt to reach the top. He gave him compliments and spoke of him as ”Christ or St John”. Hitler was also happy. He had acquired an eager disciple who would agree with his every word and listen to his speeches for hours on end.

Goebbles became good friend s with Hitler, and soon became the leading propagandist for the Nazi party. He was appointed to this post in 1930.

Although Goebbles became a very powerful man, behind his back, people called him a ”black dwarf”, and with his slight frame and dark hair, his colleagues nicknamed him ”Hitler’s little mouse general”. Although he knew about this vicious slander, none of these things were ever said straight to his face.

Goebbles carried on promoting Nazi views. At last, he had found a profession in which he was well established and he enjoyed.

He organised for everyone to be able to listen to his and Hitler’s broadcasts, and pasted propaganda posters all over Germany, promoting Nazi views.

Meanwhile, Joseph Goebbles married Magda Quandt, a previously divorced woman. Together they had six children, but this happy family was not to last. In 1938, Goebbles had a well publicised affair with Lida Barrova, a Czech actress. The scandal was pasted all over Germany, and the couple split. They did not stay apart for long though. Gobbles’ secretary had fallen in love with Magda, and proposed to marry her. Hitler would not allow this to take place and ordered that the couple should return to living together. They returned to be together, although Goebbles did not remain faithful to Magda.

The invasion of the Soviet Union followed shortly after the death of Winston Churchill, as well as the War with the United Sates of America. Despite the Nazi’s efforts, they had been defeated. Goebbles’ days of triumph were over.

After realising this, Goebbles and his wife poisoned their six children, as they did not want them to grow up in a non- National Socialist Germany, and he shot himself and his wife drank poison on the 29th of April, 1945.

Paul Joseph Goebbles was remembered as a small, sharp hatchet faced, little man, with a booming voice.