I have noticed that much of the Nazi propaganda has some interest in the German family and mothers.
http://www.calvin.edu/academic/cas/gpa/posters2.htm
Calvin’s caption: “I am not sure of the date of this poster, but it looks to be late in the war. The text translates as: “Mothers! Fight for your children!” Note that the mother portrayed has four children, consistent with the Nazi goal of encouraging as many births as possible.” This emphasis on the family is interesting. Notice that Hitler only emphasizes the Aryan family while dessimating all other nationalities that he disapproved of in Germany and his territories. Perhaps Hitler and his propaganda minister, Goebbels, realized that the extreme Holocaust was causing the death rate to be enormously higher than the birth rate…therefore, German births were encouraged.
Calvin’s caption: “This 1944 poster is on the same theme. The text: “The air terror continues. Mothers, send your children to safety!”" This poster conveys the importance that was placed on children. Other lives can be lost, but make sure the children are safe! These children would eventually grow up to be (in Hitler’s ideal) followers of the Nazi party and perhaps even more man-power to keep the Reich going.
Calvin’s Caption: “This poster probably dates to the mid-1930’s. It promotes the Nazi charitable organization (the NSV). The text: “Support the assistance program for mothers and children.”"
This poster also shows the importance of children to the Nazi party. The Reich even established an assistance program so that they would be supported! The mother is also like an idealized version of a mother. She has blonde hair and the blue of the ad suggests the blue eyes that were desirable among the Aryan race. Also there seems to be a sort of halo-like aura around her head almost hearkening to the Virigin Mother.
Calvin’s caption: “This poster advertises a county rally of the Nazi Party from 1941 (a miniature version of the Nuremberg rally). A woman plows the field while her husband fights on the front.”
Some Nazi propaganda also defined the role of women at this time. Probably out of a sense of appeasement or necessity to make the women stay in their necessary places, ads promoted women as workers. This ad shows a woman at home working while her husband fights in the war. With the men off to war, women had to take on all the at-home duties – including harvesting the fields so that the troops could have food to eat. The women’s part in the war was often defined by Nazi propaganda.
Calvin’s Caption: “The Germans worked to gather as much old material for the war effort as possible. This poster is for a 1943 clothing drive. The text translates as: “Get rid of old cloth and shoes!”"
This ad defines the role of the women through a clothing drive. Small events like this seemed to be popular in order to keep the women working.
In none of these pictures do we see a woman rebelling against her established role as a mother or avid war supporter. These ads were meant to persuade the women that they had a duty to the Nazi party and a duty to their husbands, brothers and fathers who were off to war.
Most of these ads use the same type of text : a gothic, bold, large-sized text that catches attention.
The ads also appeal to women who want to be approved by the Nazi party. Perhaps they want to be the idealized mother like the aforementioned ad depicts.
