JF Ptak Science Books
This compact 24-page 25-pfennig 1930 work by Gabriel Stark and Heinrich Himmler was one of the earliest pieces produced by the Nazis on how to best expose the public to National Socialism, and given its size and near-free price, it was meant to be distributed far and wide. (There was an earlier and leaner work published by the NSDAP and written by Georg Strasser and Himmler, Propaganda Abteilung, in 1927, and which was a basic how-to booklet.) It developed the need for propaganda as well as the motivation of it, plus there's a lot of practical discussion on how to best get their message across to different sorts of crowds.
The pamphlet is divided into sections on spreading propaganda by the spoken word, written word, mass marches, and “cultural gatherings”, and subdivides each section accordingly. For the written word, for example, there is a longish discussion of advertising, putting displays on rooftops, [placing posters along railway lines, postcards, banners, letter-writing, stamps, advertisements, and movies and slide shows. (There is also a warning that it was illegal to use windows, streets, buildings and such to paste placards and posters on.) Each one of these has a short section on their philosophy and use, as with sticker placement (“Not much needs to be said about the effectiveness of stickers. Their task is to be a constant reminder to the indifferent and to gradually unsettle them...”)
The section on flyers states: “flyers in various colors, but with identical slogans, some with caricatures, spread through entire city districts are effective”. And “The leaflet should contain a brief, easily understandable idea.” For example:
- Against Marxism and Reaction / the National Socialists!
- For Freedom and Bread / the National Socialists!
- Your greeting / Heil Hitler!
- Down with the Party Corpses! / Power to the National Socialists!
- The NSDAP has the welfare of the city in mind.
And of course you may get help with slogans by sending a letter to the propaganda department.
Here's another bit: “All flyers, leaflets, posters, and so on that are posted should be attached in a way that makes them difficult to remove.” Not only that, but these things shouldn't be delivered in a vacuum: “Leaflets, free newspapers, and brochures should be distributed only in such places where it is likely that they will be read immediately.” And while flyers and leaflets were highly useful, “Posters, despite their considerable cost, are the best form of propaganda, and in relation to their cost”.
- The pamphlet extols the reader to demand/request the NSDAP newspaper basically wherever printed material was sold: “Each party member must ask for our newspapers in all restaurants, railway stations, newspaper kiosks, and so on.”
I can't do much more work on this thing—I think I've provided enough info for you to understand the background of the NSDAP method of spreading their propaganda.
Lastly, here are a few more examples of the Starke/Hinnler observations:
- “The other way to chose meeting themes is to find sensational events, scandals of the Jews or Marxists, in particular events that can be summarized in three or four words.”
- “Meeting protection should be assured either by a sufficient number of local or neighboring S.A. men”
- “Attendance by party members is both expected and tactically necessary, given the opponents.”
- “ Each meeting is to be closed by the chairman with a “Heil” to National Socialism and our ... Hitler”
- “Singing a song at the conclusion of a meeting makes sense only if this can be done well.”
- “Choruses supported by a trumpet are effective. Several short, compelling sentences, repeated often, have a strong effect on a meeting. Be sure they have practiced, and are not in an awkward position.”
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