Fritzsche, Peter. "Nazi Modern." Modernism/Modernity 3.11996 1-22. 1 Dec 2008 .

     The Nazis came to power because of the hopelessness of the German people due to the disastrous condition in which Germany was left following WWI. The people were not happy to see the Nazis in particular; they accepted them because they needed a change. The main goal of the Nazis was to exterminate the Jewish people, yet most Germans did not agree with this agenda.  The Nazis embraced technology and made Germany’s economy more industrialized and more technologically advanced.  Because of this some people, oversimplify the Nazis’ impact on Germany and say that they were modernizers.  The more complex view argues that Nazis were modernists.  As modernists, the Nazis sought racial purification in an attempt to unify and strengthen the German society so that it would be “strong and homogeneous enough to prosper in the dangerous era of world wars” (Fritzsche).  This racial purification in conjunction with increased social programs were measures to promote national health and were seen as modern ways to better German society.  In theory, these practices could have made German society very strong and unified, but these apparent benefits do not justify the mass murders that were made necessary to carry out the racial purification.  This racial purification, ultimately, destroyed German society because the wrath of the world for the murderous injustices Germany was committing.
    The initial background for the argument of this article is that the people were never won over by the Nazis.  This information offers a new perspective.  This lack of all out support by the people may be the reason that Goebbels and the Nazis were so concerned with maintaining public support.  If their support was a given, surely Goebbels would not have spent so many resources on propaganda like Kolberg.  The overarching goals of the Nazis for unity also explain why the public's consensus with the goals of the Nazi Party was so desirable.  In creating a unified German society, surely the Nazis not only wanted unification with race and appearance, but unification with the thoughts and minds of the German people.  The Nazis felt that this unification was key to strength in this dangerous world.  The Nazis' great desire to attain strength for the German society is explained by the way Germany was left crushed following WWI.  Overall, the desire for the unification of German society explains why such a high value was placed on propaganda and therefore, film, its most important medium.

This book provides an overview of the efforts of the Warner Brothers’ studio to aid in the war effort, namely by campaigning against Nazism.  Birdwell examines the complex relationship between the Warner Brothers Studio and the US government in promoting the war effort.   

Birdwell’s discussion frames the effectiveness of the “Private Snafu” series in the context of other films of its time which sought to promote the US war effort.  The book provides a good understanding of mainstream propaganda films which were accessible to a broader audience and how they are different from the “Private Snafu” series.