Source 3

‘Hitler in distress’ by Richard Ziegler c.1944 (INF 3/1298)

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3. Look at source 3. Drawing by Richard Ziegler entitled “Unhappy-looking uniformed Hitler” 1944-1945, produced by the Ministry of Information responsible for publicity and propaganda in the Second World War. It also controlled news and press censorship; home publicity; and overseas publicity in Allied and neutral countries.

  • What impression of Hitler does the picture give you?
  • How has the artist created this impression?
  • The government paid the artist to produce this picture. What instructions do you think the artist was given by the government?
  • Can the picture be considered as reliable evidence of what Hitler was like?
  • Does the drawing provide an accurate impression of Hitler as leader of Germany in 1944-45? [Clue: Refer to events during the Second World War at that time]