The press as a means of the Nazi propaganda policy regarding the departure of Eastern Galician Ukrainians to work in Germany (1941–1944)

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze Ukrainian-language periodicals of 1941–1944, which featured announcements about the voluntary departure of residents of Galicia to work in Germany, which were one of the forms of Nazi propaganda policy and promoted the «good life» of Eastern Galician workers. The research methodology is based on the principles of historicism, scientificity, objectivity, and comprehensiveness. The author used logical, historical, system-structural, and problem-chronological methods of scientific knowledge. The scientific novelty of the study lies in the analysis of periodicals, which were a means of information and propaganda policy of the German authorities. The author made an attempt to investigate and generalize the forms and methods of the Nazi propaganda policy in achieving their goal - labor mobilization of Eastern Galician society in 1941–1944. The conclusions. In the process of work, the author concluded that along with the theoretical understanding of the past, empirical study is very important. Historical science depends on a full-fledged source base of historical research, which allows us to claim objectivity in its interpretation. Ukrainian-language periodicals of the war period are one of the types of documentary materials that allow us to trace the forms of the propaganda policy of the German authorities in the conditions of World War II. The authorities used the press as a means of regulatory and organizational information to the population of Galicia about employment, labor obligations, and social assistance to families of those working in Germany. With the use of administrative pressure, Eastern Galician Ukrainians were forced, under the guise of goodwill, to work in the Reich. Skillfully organized propaganda, distributed simultaneously in the press, created a positive image of Germany. This was one of the methods used to encourage people to work in the Third Reich. In the article, the periodical press is considered from two positions - as an information source and as a means of propaganda of «good life and material wealth». Given the German censorship, periodicals could not always claim objectivity. The informational potential of the press should be compared with other types of source materials.