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Despite the fact that swing and big band music were forbidden as “degenerate” in 1930s Nazi Germany, Joseph Goebbels, the Third Reich’s propaganda minister, cobbled together a skilled group of jazz musicians to form a propaganda swing orchestra. The result was a bizarre combination of cheery tunes and hateful rants which were broadcast on medium- and short-wave bands to Canada, the US and Britain. It must have been pretty demoralizing to be listening to the radio only to hear a lightly-accented German interject his anti-American sentiments in the middle of a nice swing tune, particularly when the outcome of the war was far from certain.
Sample tracks:
See the links section below to listen to more of this strange music.
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Printed from https://www.damninteresting.com/curio/nazi-propaganda-swing/
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Those MP3’s are so cool.
actually, WFMU is based in Jersey City, NJ (ok, so we’re less than a mile from lower manhattan across the river, but still). i live down the street from the station.
This is still in use today, it’s called Country n Western music, LOL. Just kidding now don’t beat me up.
What scares me is any nation or culture who think that only other peoples are susceptible to propaganda.
Like so many others, especially foreigners, I have become so terribly disappointed in how America and Britain, supposed leaders of freedoms and self-criticism and debate, had become so ‘propagandic’ recently as in the latest Iraq issue. So disappointed, shocked even. Our news media has apparently sold itself out either to towing the gov’t line or Entertainment Tonight-like sensationalism.
And yet sometimes you hear how Allied servicemen actually fell in love with Tokyo Rose, Japan’s propaganda tool, and listened to her all the time with apparent disregard for the intended demoralising effort.
I remember playing hockey against former Soviet block kids and my students who immigrated from countries like Iran who talked about how popular BBC has been evern since ww2 and would listen.
Interesting topic.
Good thing Goebbels didn’t try to produce a film strip with him dancing to this music given his ‘master-race’ handicaps lol.
I seem to remember a photo way back in the 70s, I may be wrong, showing Hitler enjoying the Paris night-life with a black stripper even.
If I really did see such a pic, I suppose it was probably a fake.
But sure would be even more ironic wouldn’t it?
Love the movie ‘Wag the Dog’ ? is that the correct title?