A bola como arma de guerra: o futebol como instrumento de propaganda para o governo nazista

Abstract

Between 1933 and 1945, Nazi Germany haunted world democracy, generating eugenicist discourse, genocide and wars across the European continent. Consequently, Nazism's rise to power and the declaration of the Second World War are directly linked to the successful political propaganda carried out by Hitler and his right-hand man, propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. Thus, during this period, sport, especially soccer, was used strategically to disseminate ideological values, while promoting the idea of Aryan racial superiority, both internally and on the international stage. In this way, this work analyzes the use of soccer as a propaganda tool by the Third Reich, showing how Adolf Hitler and the Nazi government appropriated sports competitions, clubs and events, such as the 1936 Olympic Games, and national and international soccer leagues, with the intention of strengthening their political propaganda and their image of superiority as a country. Finally, this monograph contributes to an understanding of the role of soccer in totalitarian regimes and its relevance in ideological discourses.