Nazi Psychology

Paper Summary:

This paper provides a review of the various types of psychological techniques used by the Nazis during the Second World War, including propaganda and brainwashing. The paper explains that a key factor for the Germans' support of Hitler was the use of psychological methods that helped keep them convinced of the viability of the military campaigns, as well as the infallibility of their deranged leader. The paper provides a discussion of the Nazis' perception of Sigmund Freud and Carl Jung and analyzes how the Nazis used their works and how they applied them to their own endeavors. The paper concludes that the Nazis were more heavily influenced by the propaganda and crowd control techniques offered by Gustave LeBon.

Outline:
Review and Discussion
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"In his essay, "How to Make Enemies and Influence People: Anatomy of the Anti-Pluralist, Totalitarian Mindset," Montuori (2005) asks, "Why is it easy to get people to do the bidding of their leaders? How was it possible for a sophisticated, educated population like Germany's to follow blindly the dictates of a maniacal leader, and to embark on the horrors of the Nazi regime?" (18). The answers to these questions have been the source of much investigation since the end of World War II."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Beaumont, Roger. The Nazis' March to Chaos: The Hitler Era through the Lenses of Chaos- Complexity Theory. Westport, CT: Praeger Publishers, 2000.
• Bishop, Paul. Jung in Contexts: A Reader. London: Routledge, 1999.
• Haynes, Stephen R. (2002). "Ordinary Masculinity: Gender Analysis and Holocaust Scholarship." The Journal of Men's Studies 10(2):143.
• Montuori, Alfonso. (2005). "How to Make Enemies and Influence People: Anatomy of the Anti-Pluralist, Totalitarian Mindset." Futures 37(1):18.
• Nelson, Richard Alan. A Chronology and Glossary of Propaganda in the United States. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996.

More papers on Nazi Psychology:

• Research Paper # 60226 : "The Psychology Behind The Nazi Regime"
• Book Review # 18693 : "The Nazi Doctors" by Robert Jay Lifton"
• Argumentative Essay # 144834 : "Browning Vs. Goldhagen on the Holocaust"

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