Propaganda's Influence On European Culture

Throughout the 1900’s, the developments of the arts were profoundly impacted by the current social, political, and economic affairs of European life. At a time shaped so much by desperation and the loss of faith, artists and writers reflected their innermost emotions and personal struggles through creative outlets. After the devastation of a war, the transition from an optimistic, vibrant life to dismal feelings seemed to essentially shape the progress of European culture. Particularly, in the beginning half of the twentieth century, art and literature were characterized by both a period of disillusionment following the first World War, and the heavy influence of propaganda utilized by totalitarian regimes. After a period of anxiety before …show more content…
Before and during the era of World War II, Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union favored nationalistic propaganda that refuted the essence of modernism’s ambiguous culture. Rather, these regimes turned towards art with straightforward messages that could not be left to interpretation. Through the rise of Hitler and Nazi Germany, propaganda was used to influence people with racist, anti-semitic views that promoted German violence and hatred. Particularly, in Hitler’s autobiography, Mein Kampf, he outlined his political views concerning Germany’s future. By 1939, 5.2 million copies had been sold worldwide, thus showing that Hitler’s political affairs influenced the literature at the time. Similarly, Soviet Russia under the reign of Stalin endured heavy censorship of the arts as well; artists, novelists, and poets that opposed the restrictions were often imprisoned and died in the Gulag. During the rise of totalitarian regimes, the burden of oppression weighed down on the creative mind, ultimately squandering the development of the arts. Through the desensitization of media and art and literature, personal political interests shaped the era of European culture and destroyed the senses of individualism and