Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

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AriX
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Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#1

Post by AriX » 14 Nov 2021, 23:10

It's an axiom for everyone, whos intereted in WW2, that German civilian folks understood that the war will be lost after the Stalingrad battle. For me, it's a question why did they know about the deceicive defeat there take it so serious - the only answers is that Hitler or Goebbels told 'em.
In what speech and when did it happened?

GregSingh
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#2

Post by GregSingh » 15 Nov 2021, 02:49

Official Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro special announcement was broadcasted in Germany on the February 3rd, 1943.
You can find recording on the internet.

By that time everyone in Germany already knew about surrender from foreign radio broadcasts.


AriX
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#3

Post by AriX » 15 Nov 2021, 14:56

GregSingh wrote:
15 Nov 2021, 02:49
Official Deutsches Nachrichtenbüro special announcement was broadcasted in Germany on the February 3rd, 1943.


Your saying about the aftermath, I'm - about how it had started

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wm
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#4

Post by wm » 15 Nov 2021, 15:47

I don't think the "German civilian folks understood that the war will be lost" is true.

I've read the volumes of the "Chronicle of the Wartime Occupation" prepared for the Polish resistance with very detailed records and analyses of everyday German newspapers and radio and there was no such thing.
Over a few months, the newspapers went from lack of victories to hard fighting to withdrawals (masked by weasel words.) All that both in Africa and Russia.

It was a gradual process without any doomsday day.
The final surrender at Stalingrad was anticipated weeks before and when it came it was anti-climatic whatever.
Nobody said "Germany is finished" nor the newspapers not the guy monitoring them.
In the earlier months "maybe it's the beginning of the end" was expressed a few times but ironically not on the day of the surrender.

AriX
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#5

Post by AriX » 15 Nov 2021, 15:53

wm wrote:
15 Nov 2021, 15:47
I don't think the "German civilian folks understood that the war will be lost" is true.

I've read the volumes of the "Chronicle of the Wartime Occupation" prepared for the Polish resistance with very detailed records and analyses of everyday German newspapers and radio and there was no such thing.


Of course, there wasn't. People have read "between the lines".

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wm
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#6

Post by wm » 15 Nov 2021, 16:23

AriX wrote:
15 Nov 2021, 15:53
Of course, there wasn't. People have read "between the lines".
The propaganda usually didn't lie, they mostly withhold the truth for a few days. With a map of Africa or Russia, what's going on was obvious.
I suppose not that many Germans bothered with such in-depth analyses - although many marked on their maps the everyday progress of the Wehrmacht.

GregSingh
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#7

Post by GregSingh » 16 Nov 2021, 07:10

about how it had started
The first mention of the 6th Army as the unit which had been encircled was in OKW-Bericht from January 25th.

On the January 27th, Fritz Sauckel as General Plenipotentiary for Labour Deployment signed Regulation on the registration of men and women for tasks of the defense of the Reich.
In §2 we can read:
[... all men from sixteen to sixty-five years of age and all women from seventeen to forty-five years of age are to report to their local employment offices..]

On the January 29th, The Reich Minister of the Interior and the Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda jointly announced:
"this year usual flags ceremony (Beflaggung) on the the Day of National Revival (30.Jan) won't be held".

On the January 30th, Göring spoke in the Honours Hall of the Reich Ministry of Aviation. Speech was broadcasted live over the radio and was possible to hear in Stalingrad for those who still had power for their radio receivers...
Among other things he said: "tired old men and sixteen-year-old boys" were fighting for the Soviet Union: "I am convinced that these are the last reserves which can be squeezed out".

In the afternoon the same day Dr. Goebbels in Berlin read out AH's Proclamation.
Stalingrad was mentioned once.

And finally on the 31st of January, an ill-timed Announcement from Führers HQ came:
"...The Führer has Colonel General Paulus, the commander in chief of the glorious 6th Army, the heroic defender of Stalingrad, promoted to Generalfeldmarschall..."

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ostland
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#8

Post by ostland » 16 Nov 2021, 19:59

What’s your source Greg?
Have you got a “Third Reich day by day” sourcebook perhaps? :)

(Just curious)
"Merken Sie sich eins; bei uns zu Haus' sind nur die Mannschaften Ostmärker. Die Herren Offiziere sind Österreicher! Servus Doktorchen!"

GregSingh
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Re: Stalingrad Battle in German propaganda

#9

Post by GregSingh » 17 Nov 2021, 05:46

Nothing extraordinary.
Domarus volumes are a good start. I like to verify them against DNB bulletins.

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