Nazi propaganda was a milestone in the history of political communication. However, there is no consensus among its theoreticians about its conceptual framework. This premise is proposed to analyze the ideas of one of these theoreticians. The first section of this paper historically contextualizes the so-called totalitarian propaganda, while the main section examines the Nazi mindset, as presented in a tract authored by Eugen Hadamovsky. Based on this, we argue that, contrary to what many theorists suppose, the core of totalitarian propaganda is not persuasion, but the use of coercion and organizational work by the party apparatus. The conclusion summarizes this analysis, defending the idea that, underlying this unit, there is also a metaphysics of will to power, according to which the cathartic aspect of propaganda derives from the fact that it is an expression of the power of the masses, of their predisposition to exercise popular power through the organizational coercion of the individual promoted by the movement.
nazi propaganda; political communication history; Eugen Hadamovsky