Propaganda
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It has become commonplace to blame social media for the rapid spread of misinformation, especially through memes, viral posts, and other digital content. However, the use of propaganda to manipulate public perception is not a new phenomenon. Over a century ago, similar tactics were employed through postcards, cartoons, and newspaper illustrations. In many ways, a…
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On February 19, 1942, Winnipeg, the capital city of Manitoba, Canada, was “invaded” by Nazi troops. By 5:30 a.m., Nazi broadcasts were being transmitted from a local radio station that had been seized. At 7:00 a.m., air raid sirens sounded, and a citywide blackout was ordered. By 9:30 a.m., the defenders of Winnipeg had “surrendered”…
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The Reichstag Fire Trial, held in Leipzig from September 21 to December 23, 1933, was one of the most notorious and politically charged trials of the 20th century. The trial followed the fire that engulfed the Reichstag building in Berlin on February 27, 1933. This event and its subsequent judicial proceedings not only reflected the…
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Propaganda played a powerful role in shaping public opinion during the turbulent years of 1933 to 1945. In an era marked by intense political conflict and war, governments, especially the Nazi regime, used propaganda as a weapon to manipulate citizens, instill loyalty, and control narratives. This period saw the rise of sophisticated mass communication tactics,…
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Blood libel—the false accusation that Jews kidnapped and murdered Christian children to use their blood for ritual purposes—was a centuries-old anti-Semitic myth. Though it originated in medieval Europe, this pernicious belief persisted into modern times. It was revived during the Third Reich by the Nazi regime. Medieval Origins of Blood Libel The blood libel first…
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The “Westerbork Film” refers to a film shot by Rudolf Breslauer at the Westerbork transit camp during World War II. This film is a significant historical document because it provides a rare visual record of life in a Nazi transit camp. The film was commissioned by Albert Gemmeker, the Westerbork Camp Commandant in 1944. He…
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I believe that the most powerful weapon the Nazis had during World War II was its propaganda machine. Other countries used propaganda, but not as effectively as the Nazis. Perhaps critical thinking had not been eradicated or banned elsewhere. The Nazis often used art to spread their message. Some of their posters remind me of…
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On 5 September 1944, exiled representatives of the three countries, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg signed the London Customs Convention, the treaty that established the Benelux. A politico-economic union and formal international intergovernmental cooperation of the three neighbouring nations. However, that is not why 5 September 1944 would become known as Dolle Dinsdag or Mad Tuesday. Many…
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Ever since I was 13 or 14, I have played the guitar. Over the years, I have bought hundreds of songbooks. In one of those books, they put words to Beethoven’s 9th Symphony or more precisely, the bit commonly known as Ode to Joy. In the book, they renamed it, Hate is Mankind’s Worst Disease. The first…
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Theresienstadt, also known as Terezín, was a town in northern Bohemia (now in the Czech Republic), it was used from 1941 to 1945 by the Nazis as a walled ghetto and concentration camp and was also used as a transit camp for western Jews en route to Auschwitz and other extermination camps. In 1943, the…
History of Sorts 