- Das Reich (newspaper)
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Das Reich (Deutsch: Literally The [German] Empire.[1]) was a weekly newspaper founded by Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister of the Third Reich, in May 1940.[2] It was published by Deutscher Verlag.
Contents
History
‘’Das Reich’’ was mainly the creation of Rudolf Sparing, Rolf Rienhardt and Max Amann.[3]
Goebbels was not involved in the publication, aside from contributing a weekly editorial.[4] Most but not all of his articles after 1940 appeared in it.[5]
When Allied forces landed in Italy, and Mussolini was briefly deposed, Goebbels failed to make his weekly article.[6]
Contents
The paper contained news reports, essays on various subjects, book reviews, and an editorial written by Goebbels.[7] Some of the content was written by foreign authors.[8] With the exception of Goebbels’ editorial, Das Reich did not share the tone of other Nazi publications.[9]
Among other topics, it covered the uncertain casualty lists from Stalingrad,[10] distinguished between German and Allied invasions to suggest the latter would be unsuccessful,[11] discussed the bombing raids[12] and the V-1[13] deplored American culture,[14] portrays American morale as poor (though not suggesting they would give up because of it),[15], and finally declared Berlin would fight the end.[16]
Goebbels's editorials covered a wide range. His first bragged of the accomplishments of Nazi Germany, which was then conquering France.[17] He spoke with continuing confidence as France fell, of the opportunities the "plutocracies" had missed for peace.[18] Later he issued vitrolic anti-Semitic articles,[19][20][21][22] argued against listening to enemy propaganda.[23] encouraged them for total war[24] declared England bound to lose the war,[25] attacked the still neutral United States,[26] discussed the significance of its entry into the war,[27] talked about prospects for a new year,[28] presented German radio as a good companion (when, in fact, he hoped to lure them from enemy propaganda broadcasts),[29] professed to be delighted that Churchill was in command in Britain,[30] discussed cuts in food rations and severe treatment for black market dealings,[31] urged that complaints not get in the way of the war effort,[32] accused Douglas MacArthur of cowardice (ineffectually, as the Germans knew he had been ordered to leave),[33] talked of the Allied bombing,[34] describes the sinking of Allied ships by German U-Boats,[35] explained Soviet resistance as product of a stubborn but bestial soul,[36] decried the United States as having no culture,[37] urged that Germans not allow their sense of justice be exploited by their enemies,[38] urged commitment to war,[39] and claimed that the Allies were as weary as the Axis.[40]His final article called for last ditch resistance.[41]
Circulation
The circulation reached 1.4 million.
References
- ^ Michael & Doerr, (2002) Nazi-Deutsch / Nazi-German: An English Lexicon of the Language of the Third Reich.
- ^ Welch, The Third Reich, p. 126.
- ^ Hale, The Captive Press, p. 278.
- ^ Hale, The Captive Press, p. 278.
- ^ "The Veil Falls"
- ^ "A Classic Example"
- ^ Shapiro, Why Didn't the Press Shout?, p. 312.
- ^ Shapiro, Why Didn't the Press Shout?, p. 313.
- ^ Hale, The Captive Press, p. 278.
- ^ "On the Missing at Stalingrad"
- ^ "The Invasion"
- ^ "Unexpected Consequences"
- ^ "First Results of the V-1"
- ^ "The Kitschified Mass Soul"
- ^ "Reality is Different:Disillusioned USA Soldiers"
- ^ "Berlin: A Huge Hedgehog"
- ^ "A Unique Age"
- ^ "Missed Opportunities"
- ^ "Mimicry"
- ^ "The Jews are Guilty!"
- ^ "The War and the Jews"
- ^ "The Creators of the World's Misfortunes"
- ^ "The Matter of the Plague"
- ^ "When or How?"
- ^ "The Clay Giant"
- ^ "Mr. Roosevelt Cross-Examined"
- ^ "A Different World"
- ^ "The New Year"
- ^ "The Good Companion"
- ^ "Churchill's Trick"
- ^ "An Open Discussion"
- ^ "The Paper War"
- ^ "Heroes and Film Heroes"
- ^ "The Air War and the War of Nerves"
- ^ "The Tonnage War"
- ^ "The So-Called Russian Soul"
- ^ "God's Country"
- ^ "Don't Be Too Fair!"
- ^ "30 Articles of War for the German People"
- ^ "The World Crisis"
- ^ "Resistance at Any Price"
- Randall Bytwerk. "Cartoons from Das Reich: 1944-1945". Das Reich 1940–1945. http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/reich.htm. Retrieved August 16, 2006.
- Robert Michael and Karin Doerr. Nazi-Deutsch / Nazi-German: An English Lexicon of the Language of the Third Reich. Greenwood. 2002.
- Hale, Oron J., The Captive Press in the Third Reich (Princeton, 1964)
- Welch, David, The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda (London, 1993)
External links
Categories:- Nazi newspapers
- Publications established in 1940
- Publications disestablished in 1944
- German newspaper stubs
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