Description
No leading scholar or politician in the West expected East Germany to collapse nearly rapidly as it did. Effective propaganda depends on a full range of persuasive methods, from the gentlest suggestion to overt violence, which the dictatorship of the 20th century understood well. In many ways, modern totalitarian movements rest upon worldviews that are religious in nature. Nazism and Marxism-Leninism presented themselves as explanations for all of life - culture, morality, science, history, recreation. They provided people with reasons for accepting the status quo. Bending Spines examines the full range of persuasive techniques used by Nazi Germany and the German Democratic Republic, and concludes that both systems failed in part because they expected more of their propaganda than it was able to deliver.
About the Author
RANDALL L. BYTWERK is a professor of communication arts and sciences at Calvin College in Grand Rapids, Michigan. The author of two previous volumes on Nazi rhetoric and propaganda, he holds a Ph.D. from Northwestern University.
Book Information
ISBN 9780870137105
Author Randall L. Bytwerk
Format Paperback
Page Count 228
Imprint Michigan State University Press
Publisher Michigan State University Press
Weight(grams) 360g