In 1939, journalists all over the world changed the name of "Hitler" in all cases. The Führer reigned supreme at the headlines. He was also the number one topic in the Polish press. What exactly was written about him?
At the beginning of May 1939, the press body of the PPS "Robotnik" warned:"This is Hitler and the" Memorandum "in sections devoted to Poland. They contain (according to the Nazi custom) - a threat and a proposal. (...) With a resistant contractor you have to start with (seemingly!) Smaller doses - to break the resistance force. "
On the other hand, "Wielkopolanie" wrote on the last day of August:"Hitler does not seem to remember the misfortune that threatens him. He summoned the deputies and in a short briefing stated that Germany was ready for the war, in which he wanted to take from Poland everything that was within the German borders in 1914 ”. At the same time, however, the editors of the magazine assured that the Third Reich did not have the strength to fight ...
A press review from the last months before Germany's attack on Poland shows that not everyone saw Hitler as a real threat to the existence of the Republic of Poland . In some circles, he was considered a celebrity in the political world. Which does not mean that he was well spoken of.
A coward sitting on a bomb
Overall, the image of the German leader in the eyes of Poles at that time was rather negative. Journalists eagerly pointed out his vices and alleged affairs, and talked about his poor health (and therefore his alleged inability to exercise power). As in the book “We are still living. Summer '39 ”relates Marcin Zaborski:
The newspapers again say that Adolf Hitler has broken nerves. Could it be otherwise, since there was a ban on airplanes flying within a radius of 45 kilometers from Berchtesgaden? The German chancellor himself was to wish it so that the roar of airplanes appearing near his headquarters in Obersalzberg would not interfere with his work.
In the last months before the war broke out, the Polish press was full of gossipy and mocking publications about Hitler. Not everyone saw him as a real threat.
In the last months before the outbreak of World War II, there were also sharper comments. In May 1939, the satirical "Mucha" called the leader of the Third Reich "with reservations". A telling picture of a terrified Führer holding a globe under his shoe, she signed with an alleged quote from the chief:"I tear what I can and how can I, but I am afraid that this bomb will not tear me apart".
In turn, Dziennik Bydgoski, referring to the case of a certain Moszek Nencel, who stood trial for calling another man Hitler, emphasized:
Chancellor Hitler is now generally regarded as the epitome of possessiveness, word-breaking and a number of other negative qualities, so insinuating these qualities to a Polish citizen must be considered an insult.
Rumors and gossip
It happened that one or another magazine actually warned Poles against the attempts of the German dictator. However, the focus was on completely different issues than those which - as it soon turned out - should actually alert our countrymen. Thus, the "Pomorskie Word", instead of criticizing the Führer's international policy, focused rather on his pro-family policy. It was horrified to note:
The facts of the propaganda of illegitimate motherhood among German girls organized in the state youth union are also loud. It is made easier for them even by the appropriate arrangement of camps for boys and girls, by organizing joint games, etc. National Socialism, as you can see from this, wants to make the family only a breeding stable destroying its spiritual values and dignity.
There were also articles of a purely gossipy nature. For example, the journalists of the "Sunday Last Lwow News" in July 1939 wondered how and how much Hitler earns, what he later spends the money on and ... how he spends his holidays.
They were surprisingly well versed in his everyday habits. They knew what time he got up, who he was eating breakfast with, what his daily schedule was ... but they completely ignored the question of already clearly hostile aspirations towards their neighbors from the East.
A real bomb for cheap sensationalists in political circles exploded in August - and immediately became an excellent breeding ground for the press of the time. Marcin Zaborski in the book “We are still living. Summer '39 ”describes:
In mid-August, everyone is suddenly talking about just one thing. Hitler is parting ways with the old cavalry state. This is not official information, but only news from word of mouth, but people know theirs ... Matrimonial rumors overshadow other reports (...). Apparently it was Mussolini himself who persuaded Hitler to get married. Other close friends had urged him before. They said it would be good for him for psychological reasons.
It seems that on the eve of the war, the readers of the press were more concerned with the possible change of the dictator's marital status than with his plan to change the property of the Third Reich. On the other hand, living in a feeling of increasing danger, they probably needed a break from thoughts about the impending war. And sensational news and humor helped to tame the evil lurking beyond the western border ...
Source:
- K. Czapiński, After Hitler's speech. Attack on Poland and England. New Warning , "Robotnik:the central organ of the P.P.S." R. 46 [i.e. 45], no. 121 (May 1, 1939).
- Hitler on vacation , "Sunday Last News of Lviv" R. 6, No. 186 (July 27, 1939).
- Adolf Hitler's property and manager , "Sunday Last Lviv News" R. 6, No. 186 (July 27, 1939)
- "Mucha:satirical and humorous sketches", collected by F. Kostrzewski and H. Pillate. R.71, no. 20 (May 12, 1939).
- Germany on the brink of the abyss , "Wielkopolaninin" R. 10, No. 101 (August 31, 1939).
- Marcin Zaborski, We are still alive. Summer '39, Bellona 2019.