Tailoring Nazi Propaganda to Spain, the Place of Antisemitism in the Development of the Grosses Plan

The outbreak of the Spanish Civil War marked the beginning of a close relationship between Spain and Germany. Soon enough, Germany’s help to the rebel army translated into the transformation of Spain into a not so silent ally during WWII. Between 1937 and 1943, thanks to the acquiescence and support of Franco’s single party, Nazi propaganda flooded Spain in order to protect German interests in the peninsula.

Changes in propaganda over the war reflected the different objectives of German foreign policy regarding Spain. For each objective, different campaigns were developed. Given the racial character of Nazi ideology, it’s important to analyse the role anti-Semitism played in these campaigns. Interestingly enough, anti-Semitism was not an element overly present in every campaign; but it was at the core of many propaganda materials, especially those aimed to the general public and developed within the framework of the Großes Plan(1942-43). This, in turn, raises further questions: Why did German propagandists not appeal to anti-Semitism in some campaigns? When and why did anti-Semitism become a central argument of Nazi propaganda in Spain? To which publics did it appealed the most? What role did Falange played in the dissemination of these arguments?

Through the examination of propaganda materials and directives issued by the German embassy and the ministry of foreign affairs, this paper aims to examine how and to what extent Nazi propaganda was tailored to the realities of Spain, taking as a focus point the analysis of anti-Semitism, evaluating how, when and why it became a central element of the propaganda campaigns. Examining these issues will allow for a better understanding of the nature of not only German propaganda abroad, but also of anti-Semitism and its manifestation in Spain.