The colour scheme for the Nazi flag initially drew on the colours of the imperial German Empire (1871-1918), this resonated with many Germans who rejected democracy and the Weimar Republic. The swastika became the most recognizable icon of Nazi propaganda. A pre-existing mark used throughout the world for thousands of years to represent good luck, prosperity and well being, was taken and repurposed into a symbol of racial purity, solidarity and pride for Hitler’s supporters, and a sign of oppression and fear for the Jewish living across central and eastern Europe. A simple but power logo, Hitler made every effort to display it to the German people as a symbol of change. Having it appear on the new flag, as well as on election posters, arm bands, medallions, and badges for military and other organizations.

On the 18th of July 1925, Adolf Hitler published the first part of Mein Kampf (My struggle), an autobiographical work that described his political ideology and future plans for Germany. It was followed in 1926 by in a further publication in which he argued that effective propaganda appealed “to the feelings of the public rather than to their reasoning ability”. He then set out five clear guidelines for how propaganda should be produced to maximise effect. He believed propagandists should avoid abstract ideas, employ repetition of only a few key ideas, use stereotyped phrases and avoid objectivity. He sought to supply only one side of the argument and consistently criticise enemies of the state, encourage subjectivity and most importantly, identify one enemy in particular to vilify.

Fig:14: Cover of Mein Kampf. Ca 1939 Fig:15 Bruno Hanich. ca. 1942.

The typeface used on the 1939 reproduction of Mein Kampf (Fig. 14) was one that would become synonymous with the Nazi regime; Black Letter (also sometimes referred to as Gothic, Fraktur).

Where the US propagandists would often portray the enemy as childish