. Nazi Germany sourcebook : an anthology of texts / Roderick Stackelberg and Sally A. Winkle. 0415222133 series London ; New York : Routledge, 2002.
Call#: Van Pelt Library DD256.5 .N359 2002

Goebbels, Joseph. "Goebbel's speech in the Berlin Sportpalast, 18 February 1943." The Nazi Germany Sourcebook an anthology of texts. Comp. Roderick Stackelberg and Sally Winkle. New York: Routledge, 2002.

    This speech of Joeseph Goebbels, minister of propaganda, is filled with just that—propaganda.  Goebbels does acknowledge Germany’s military defeats, though.  Specifically, when he mentions the defeat of Stalingrad, he is overly positive and tells the German people that this defeat was actually a good thing because it would unify Germany, ultimately strengthening the country.  This specific example shows how Goebbels takes even the most seemingly negative thing such as a military defeat and turns it into a positive for the Nazi cause.  He compliments the German people while he rallies them to support Germany.  He assures the people that Germany has endured many crises and can endure this one and thrive again.  These difficult times will build virtue in the German people.  Goebbels informs the people of the bleak military situation, so that they understand the magnitude of the situation and will be moved to help the war effort.  He states that the German cause is noble, in that as Germans, it is their duty to protect the world from the failed Bolshevik ideology that surely would have swept through Europe had Germany not stepped in.  Germany did initially underestimate the strength of their enemy, the Soviet Union.  Goebbels continually reminds the German people that to win Germany needs the full support of its citizens.  Goebbels concludes his speech by rallying the people with a series of ten questions.  One example is that he asks whether the German people believe in victory.  Obviously, the people answer with a resounding, “YES!”  He ends his speech with a last appeal to the German citizens for patriotism. 
    This speech shows the importance of the support of the citizens. Joseph Goebbels was in charge of rallying the people’s support, and this speech is one concrete example of how he did so and its importance.  The Nazis needed the support from the people in order to win the war, and Goebbels used this speech in an attempt to do so.  Generally, though, Goebbels employed film as his primary tool for propaganda.  This speech was a direct appeal to the people.  In contrast, film appeals to the people in more subtle ways.  Because of its subtlety, film is a very effective propaganda tool.  The film Kolberg, for example, also calls on the citizens to help with the war effort.  This film does so indirectly through the use of a historic example, the battle of Kolberg.  The efforts of the average citizens is pivotal in the battle of Kolberg. The importance of the average citizen in history was meant to inspire people to do the same thing for WWII.  Goebbels spent so many resources on this film because he felt that this support from the people was necessary to win; however, Goebbels got carried away with the project, wasting many needed resources.  In the end, the film was useless because it was not released until the war was practically already lost.