On Political Propaganda 1 by Hans Hess

In Theory of Political Propaganda, Hess, drawing on his experience of life in Weimar Germany, as a victim of Nazi repression, flight and existence as a refugee in France and London, explains how propaganda can resonate, and with a unique insider’s view, reveals how the Nazis wielded it to seize power. It is a chilling exposé by one who knows.

Propaganda as a weapon was forged in war; terror became part of its arsenal. It aims to disguise weakness as strength, masking interests and actions that society would otherwise reject. Though often dismissed as mere manipulation, propaganda involves bold attempts to reshape mass thinking—or suppress it entirely.