The German army propaganda showed how much Nazi ideology influenced ordinary German. The published articles lifted Hitler as “The Fuhrer the Savior”. Young men in the army looked up to Hitler as their father, the leader of the nation to bring glory and riches to the nation. They were led to believe that the war was necessary for freedom and living spaces, that the Fuhrer knows best and sees the future with clarity. Hitler’s speech over the radio was very personal, with each soldier thinking that he was talking to them individually, encouraging them for their sacrifice. The army was also brainwashed into looking at Jews as lower than animals, not worth living on earth, and that they were doing the Jews a favor by killing and getting rid of them from the face of the earth.
Such indoctrination of German soldiers was intended to encourage them in participating in the war. In doing so, the soldiers were motivated and felt that in order for them to show their loyalty to their mother country, they should do what was necessary and sacrifice themselves if needed. Germany needed large amount of forces consisting of young men willing to take up arms and fight. Hitler was able to provoke them into fighting for their lives in the war.
In the diary of the German soldier William Hoffman, it can be found in the beginning of their march to Stalingrad that the above-mentioned indoctrination fired Hoffman in his fight with the army. He was highly enthusiastic and optimistic of the imminent victory over Stalingrad for Germany. He talked of the decoration that he would receive from Hitler, and the return home to his beloved as a hero. He wrote with great faith in Hitler, of his belief that Hitler would send help and win the war even as they struggled in Volga. However, as more and more men died from fighting and hunger, Hoffman’s indoctrination could not stand up in the face of the battle for Stalingrad. His enthusiasm decreased as could be read from his diary, where...