Joseph Goebbels was a National Socialist politician and propagandist. He held several roles in the Nazi Party. He served as Nazi Party chief for Greater Berlin from until From until he was head of propaganda Reichspropagandaleiter for the Nazi Party. Goebbels was an unconditional follower of Hitler and a radical antisemite.
He attended primary and secondary school in Rheydt and attended various German universities. When World War I broke out in August , the German army rejected him for military service because Goebbels had a club foot which hindered his ability to walk. Goebbels obtained a doctorate in German literature from the University of Heidelberg in He worked as a writer, journalist, and clerk before joining the Nazi Party in Joseph Goebbels, German propaganda minister , speaks on the night of book burning.
Berlin, Germany, May 10, Goebbels built the Nazi Party organization from the ground up in Berlin. He established himself as a master of political agitation and propaganda. He repeatedly provoked the Communist and Social Democratic Party members. He marched members of the SA Storm Troopers into working class neighborhoods where those parties had passionate supporters.
The Nazis inevitably suffered casualties in the bitter street fighting that followed. Nazi newspapers, photographs, films, and, later, paintings dramatized the exploits of these fighters. In addition, the well-publicized image of the SA man with a bandaged head and the portrayal of muscular, oversized Storm Troopers became standard visuals in party propaganda. Such heroic visualsβset against the grim realities of chronic unemployment and underemployment for young people during the Weimar period βno doubt helped to increase membership in the SA units.
The number of members in Berlin expanded from men in to some 32, by January He relied on Goebbels in the critical Reichstag and presidential elections in Goebbels pioneered the use of radio and film for propaganda purposes. He produced films of Nazi rallies, speeches, and other events to show at meetings to further inspire and activate core supporters.
