Brainwashing Techniques of Fascism

There was one particularly egregious feature of Italian fascism and Nazi Germany: its attempt to brainwash its citizens. This program was founded on two basic components, education and propaganda.

In Mein Kampf, Hitler wrote, "Propaganda is a means and must therefore be judged with regard to its end... Propaganda in the War was a means to an end, and the end was the struggle for the existence of the German people; consequently, propaganda could only be considered in accordance with the principles that were valid for this struggle. In this case the most cruel weapons were humane if they brought about a quicker victory... All propaganda must be popular and its intellectual level must be adjusted to the most limited intelligence among those it is addressed to. Consequently, the greater the mass it is intended to reach, the lower is purely intellectual level will have to be."35

Hitler was certainly effective in his use of propaganda. For instance, the well-known director Leni Riefenstahl was requested to produce a Nazi propaganda film, Olympia. In Triumph of Will, another film by Riefenstahl, Hitler was shown as an almost divine being. Pagan Nazi ideology was praised in all these films, and ultimately imposed upon society. Olympia was one of the old centers of ancient Greek pagan culture. The city, with its famous statue of the Greek god Zeus, was a fitting symbol of the pagan ideology of Nazism.

All fascist regimes, not just Hitler's, used propaganda in a most effective way in order to impose their will on the public. Mussolini openly stated this:

For me the masses are nothing but a herd of sheep as long as they are unorganized... The Roman greeting, songs and formulas...all are essential to fan the flames of the enthusiasm that keeps a movement in being...Everything turns upon one's ability to control the masses like an artist.36

The Use of PressureTo Eliminate Opposed Ideas

One interesting example of fascism's efforts to brainwash society were the book burning ceremonies in Nazi Germany.

The first of these took place on May 10, 1933. Students from German universities, which had previously been recognized as the best in the world, gathered in Berlin and other German cities, and burned books which contained "un-German" ideas. Thousands of books were burned, to the accompaniment of Nazi salutes, songs and military music.

In Berlin, Nazi Propaganda Minister Joseph Goebbels gave a speech to the students stating:

The breakthrough of the German revolution has again cleared the way on the German path... The future German man will not just be a man of books, but a man of character. It is to this end that we want to educate you. As a young person, to already have the courage to face the pitiless glare, to overcome the fear of death, and to regain respect for death-this is the task of this young generation. And thus you do well in this midnight hour to commit to the flames the evil spirit of the past. This is a strong. great and symbolic deed-a deed which should document the following for a world to know-Here the intellectual foundation of the November (Democratic) Republic is sinking to the ground, but from this wreckage the phoenix of a new spirit will triumphantly rise...37

The fascist state permits only its own ideology to be taught. Outside of that, nobody must be allowed to think anything else, or else, he will be punished, have his books burned, or be silenced in some other way. Each individual is seen as a tool at the service of the ideology of the state. Those who do not agree with the ideology are intimidated into doing so.

Therefore, the educational system was rendered to the complete service of the fascist state. The complete transformation of the educational system was outlined in the 20th article of the basic principles of National Socialism. Right from primary school, children were raised without any ethical values or human feeling, and in a way devoid of affection or compassion. They were educated under the principle that the strong are most right, and that it is essential to employ force to achieve one's aims. The organization created for German children between the ages of 10-18 was known as the Hitlerjugend, or Hitler Youth. All those who joined the Hitler Youth were warned that they must be highly vigilant in their daily lives, and should spy on all those opposed to the Nazis. Some of them even denounced their own parents. The Hitler Youth grew steadily, and by 1935, 60 percent of youth were enrolled in it.

Another tactic used by all fascist regimes has been to conceal the true history from society, and in its place, to teach a fictitious version, written by themselves. The purpose to this has been to build a culture in which the fascists' ideals could thrive, enabling them to become both more popular and more firmly rooted in society. The understanding of history, as well as philosophy, throughout the educational process were entirely monitored by the fascist state. As they were educated by the system, people were entirely unaware that they were being brainwashed in fascist ideology, and that all other ideas were completely censored.

The Idols of Fascism: The Sacred Leader

The most important element of fascism is the leader, whose name is given prominence in every aspect of society. The Hitler, Mussolini and Franco regimes were clear examples of this. The titles used by these dictators, "Der Führer," "Il Duce" or "El Caudillo" all signify the same thing- "The all-knowing leader." And, indeed, the three ran their respective states totally according to their own desires, while their closest colleagues and most senior officers were left out of the decision-making process.

Fascism ascribes an almost sacred power to the leader, in order that he can maintain his appeal and increase his acceptance among the people. The leader is the ruler of the whole country and of its people, portrayed as being part of him. A Nationalist Socialist leader, Herr Spaniol, speaking at Saarbruecken in January, 1935, said:

I do not believe that the Churches will continue to exist in their present form. In the future religion will be called National Socialism. Its prophet, its pope, its Jesus Christ, will be called Adolf Hitler.38

In a similar way, Mussolini was seen in Italy as someone with special abilities, a superior being, chosen and formed especially for the task in hand. The commandments and pronouncements issued by Mussolini were called the "Fascist Decalogue," and the eighth of these, "The Duce is always right," became a slogan that was heard all over Italy in the 1920s and 30s.39 By 1935, membership of the fascist youth organization, the Opera Nationale Balilla, became compulsory for all Italian youth. Young Italians who became a member of Balilla swore to "...believe in Rome the eternal... in the genius of Mussolini, in our Holy Father Fascism."40

Another method employed to portray the fascist leader as sacred was the putting up of his picture and statues all over the country. This had a profound psychological effect on the public, who constantly felt themselves within the leader's power and under his control, and even, that he was always watching them. Mussolini's official propaganda service used to advise the press how, when and which of his pictures was to be printed, on which page, in what arrangement, and in what size. In these photographs, "Il Duce" appeared before his people in pompous poses: brandishing a sword, stressing economic development in a harvest area, addressing young fascists, as a tireless worker or sportsman.

In each case, Mussolini was presented as the hero of the people. Newspaper pages were adorned with pictures of him flying planes, jumping hurdles on horseback, swimming, skiing in the Alps, fencing, in parachutist costume etc.

So effective was this propaganda that even his oldest friends used to stand to attention whenever they saw him. Thus Mussolini was able to satisfy his enormous ego, not even allowing his oldest friends to sit down, but keeping them on their feet for hours.

The methods employed to portray the fascist leader as superhuman, during the eras of Hitler and Mussolini, are also used by modern fascists in our own time. The fascist dictator in Iraq, Saddam Hussein, is such an example. For years, the streets of fascist Iraq have been covered with huge pictures of him. And, in them, he is shown in different roles as leader of the people: as a farmer in the country, a worker in a factory, as a soldier in the barracks. He makes his presence felt everywhere, in an attempt to give the impression of being "one who sees and knows all," in other words, a sacred being.

Fascist Romanticism

However, fascism certainly does not consist merely of the leader and the fascist party around him. In both Nazi Germany and Italy, there was tremendous popular support for the regime. This was produced in a number of ways. Fascist regimes are not simply "authoritarian," crushing their people into silence; they are also "totalitarian."

The particular feature that attracts people to a fascist ideology in a totalitarian system is "extreme romanticism." People who have irrational and romantic or emotional attachments to ideals and movements in their own time or in history are easily led and manipulated, and can even be provoked to commit crimes. If such people can be convinced that the cruelties required of them are carried out for a sacred cause, such as the "superiority of their own race," there is no limit to the injustices they can be deluded into committing. Fascist regimes recognize this, and do their utmost to keep their people in a state of irrational emotional exuberance and agitation. They present what appear to be sacred values to the people and encourage them in self-sacrifice for the sake of the state, to despise other nations or races, and even to torture and kill.

For this reason, fascist regimes have always tended to attach great importance to mass rallies, marches, meetings and ceremonies. Their aim is to form a sheep-like sense of unity in the people. The people are first diverted from religion with symbols, statues, days of remembrance, flags, torches, and uniforms. Grand moving ceremonies are designed to replace the experience of religious ones. These indoctrinated crowds conform to the fascist ideals, in false joy and excitement, as if carrying out an act of divine worship. The frequent repetition of written and shouted slogans, cries, martial music and salutes are a vital part of fascist ceremonies.

These fascist crowds are devoid of any kind of intelligent thought or behavior. All that remains is a group of people whipped up by slogans, songs and poems, but deaf to all reason. These masses, who identify themselves and their leaders with heroes from mythology or legends from the past, carry out their atrocities with an artificially induced sense of "heroism." If the day comes when they are called to account for their actions, they say they did it for the nation, and that they are actually its heroes. Those who followed Hitler and Mussolini did so under the effects of such hypnosis, perpetrating their atrocities in this state of false excitement.

Under fascism, a person's natural love for his people and country is turned into a dangerous sentimentality and a mindless loss of self-control, whereby whole societies are driven to kill by exploiting these emotions. (see Romanticism: A Weapon of Satan, Harun Yahya)

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