Bending Spines: The Propagandas of Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic (Rhetoric and Public Affairs Series) (Hardcover)

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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Naturally, the common people don't want war, but after all, it is the leaders of a country who determine the policy, and it is always a simple matter to drag people along whether it is a democracy, or a fascist dictatorship, or a parliament, or a communist dictatorship. Voice or no voice, the people can always be brought to the bidding of the leaders. This is easy. All you have to do is to tell them they are being attacked, and denounce the pacifists for lack of patriotism and exposing the county to danger. It works the same in every country."

Product Description

Why do totalitarian propagandas such as those created in Nazi Germany and the former German Democratic Republic initially succeed, and why do they ultimately fail? Outside observers often make two serious mistakes when they interpret the propaganda spawned by these authoritarian regimes. First, they assume their propagandas worked largely because they were supported by a police state, that people cheered Hitler and Honecker because they feared the consequences of not doing so. Second, they assume that propaganda really succeeded in persuading most of the citizenry, that the Nuremberg rallies were a reflection of how most Germans thought, or that most East Germans were convinced Marxist-Leninists. World War II Allies feared that rooting out Nazism would be a very difficult task. No leading scholar or politician in the West expected East Germany to collapse nearly rapidly as it did. Effective propaganda depends on a full range of persuasive methods, from the gentlest suggestion to overt violence, which the dictatorship of the 20th century understood well. In many ways, modern totalitarian movements rest upon worldviews that are religious in nature. Nazism and Marxism-Leninism presented themselves as explanations for all of life - culture, morality, science, history, recreation. They provided people with reasons for accepting the status quo. "Bending Spines" examines the full range of persuasive techniques used by Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic, and concludes that both systems failed in part because they expected more of their propaganda than it was able to deliver.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 228 pages
• Publisher: Michigan State University Press (September 30, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0870137093
• ISBN-13: 978-0870137099
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #1,803,887 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

17 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good introduction, May 27, 2005

By	Anthony W. Skaggs (New York, NY) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Bending Spines: The Propagandas of Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic (Rhetoric and Public Affairs Series) (Paperback)

Bytwerk has written a very accessible book about the use of propaganda by the two twentieth century dictatorships in Germany - the nazis and the communists. It's well-organized with excellent endnotes and a lengthy bibliography. While I think the subject deserves two in-depth booklength studies on each individual era instead of this comparative approach, "Bending Spines" is a good introduction. At times however, the comparative structure simply breaks down, for example in the chapter comparing the role of satire journals under Hitler and in the GDR. Bytwerk's hunt for anti-semitic "humor" in East German sources to compare to the Nazi's overwhelming hatred made me cringe. Bytwerk provides a wonderful website as a supplement to this book. It is an archive of translations of both Nazi and communist propaganda and is superb.

10 of 19 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A sober, meticulous dissection of the lessons of history, December 12, 2004

By	Midwest Book Review (Oregon, WI USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Bending Spines: The Propagandas of Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic (Rhetoric and Public Affairs Series) (Paperback)

Award-winning author an Professor of Communication Randall Bytwerk presents Bending Spines: The Propagandas Of Nazi Germany And The German Democratic Republic, a scholarly close study that strives to answer a larger question: why do totalitarian propagandas such as those created in Nazi Germany and the former German Democratic Republic succeed so well in the short term, yet fail in the long term? Examining in-depth the litany of persuasive techniques used by the regimes, and ultimately concluding that the government expected more of propaganda than it was able to deliver, Bending Spines leaves no word unturned in its search to comprehend what truth moves and manipulates human hearts and minds. A sober, meticulous dissection of the lessons of history.