Propaganda of the Third Reich: The Criminality of Cartoons used to Facilitate the Holocaust

• In Event: Poster Session 2

Abstract

In this project, we are examining the criminological aspect of the use of Nazi propaganda, specifically through newspaper cartoons. These cartoons are prominent in criminological research because they were used to help justify the crimes perpetrated by the Nazis. Cartoons were highly effective in spreading hate because they used humor and fear, which helped the party spread hate and justifications for the crimes they were committing. Der Stürmer, for example, was a Nazi newspaper which had the sole purpose of mobilizing the German population to approve of the crime of the annihilation of the Jewish population. This project analyzes how cartoons, such as those in Der Sturmer, were strategically used as a palatable medium to facilitate the Holocaust, which is one of the greatest crimes that mankind has ever seen.

Authors

• Lillian H. Selznick, Northern Arizona University

• Lea Cambranes, Northern Arizona University