Das Reich (newspaper)

Das Reich (German: The Reich^[1]) was a weekly newspaper founded by Joseph Goebbels, the propaganda minister of Nazi Germany, in May 1940.^[2] It was published by Deutscher Verlag.

German soldier reading "Das Reich", Russian Front, 1941

History

‘’Das Reich’’ was mainly the creation of Rudolf Sparing, Rolf Rienhardt and Max Amann.^[3]

Its circulation grew from 500,000 in October 1940 to over 1,400,000 by 1944.^[4]

Aside from a weekly editorial, Goebbels was not involved in the publication.^[5] Most, but not all, of his articles after 1940 appeared in it.^[6] In the 1930s his articles had appeared in Der Völkische Beobachter but then he wished to target a more sophisticated and intellectual readership. From May 1940 he wrote 218 editorials.^[7]

When Allied forces landed in Italy, and Mussolini was briefly deposed, Goebbels decided not to write an editorial.^[8]

Contents

The paper contained news reports, essays on various subjects, book reviews, and an editorial written by Goebbels.^[9] Some of the content was written by foreign authors.^[10] With the exception of Goebbels’ editorial, Das Reich did not share the tone of other Nazi publications.^[11]

Among other topics, it covered the uncertain casualty lists from Stalingrad,^[12] distinguished between German and Allied invasions to suggest the latter would be unsuccessful,^[13] discussed the bombing raids^[14] and the V-1,^[15] deplored American culture,^[16] portrays American morale as poor (though not suggesting they would give up because of it),^[17] and finally declared that Berlin would fight to the end.^[18]

Goebbels's editorials covered a wide range of topics. His first bragged of the accomplishments of Nazi Germany, which was then conquering France.^[19] He spoke with continuing confidence as France fell, of the opportunities the "plutocracies" had missed for peace.^[20] Later he issued vitrolic anti-Semitic articles,^{[21][22][23][24]} argued against listening to enemy propaganda.^[25] encouraged them for total war^[26] declared England bound to lose the war,^[27] attacked the still neutral United States,^[28] discussed the significance of its entry into the war,^[29] talked about prospects for a new year,^[30] presented German radio as a good companion (when, in fact, he hoped to lure them from enemy propaganda broadcasts),^[31] professed to be delighted that Churchill was in command in Britain,^[32] discussed cuts in food rations and severe treatment for black market dealings,^[33] urged that complaints not get in the way of the war effort,^[34] accused Douglas MacArthur of cowardice (ineffectually, as the Germans knew he had been ordered to leave),^[35] talked of the Allied bombing,^[36] describes the sinking of Allied ships by German U-Boats,^[37] explained Soviet resistance in Sevastopol as product of a stubborn but bestial Russian soul,^[38] decried the United States as having no culture,^[39] urged that Germans not allow their sense of justice be exploited by their enemies,^[40] urged commitment to war,^[41] and claimed that the Allies were as weary as the Axis.^[42]

His final article called for last-ditch resistance.^[43]

Circulation

The circulation reached 1.4 million.

References

• Randall Bytwerk. "Cartoons from Das Reich: 1944-1945". Das Reich 1940–1945. Retrieved August 16, 2006. 
• Robert Michael and Karin Doerr. Nazi-Deutsch / Nazi-German: An English Lexicon of the Language of the Third Reich. Greenwood. 2002. 
• Hale, Oron J., The Captive Press in the Third Reich (Princeton, 1964)
• Welch, David, The Third Reich: Politics and Propaganda (London, 1993)

External links

• Cartoons from Das Reich: 1940-1941
• Cartoons from Das Reich: 1944-1945