The early 20th century was a period of war, genocide, extreme nationalism, and growing discomfort among the European population. Understanding why this period was so unstable and volatile is essential to better understanding how events such as the two world wars and the holocaust could have occurred. These events are all closely related to the way propaganda is used in the media and how leaders such as Hitler and Stalin were able to gain and maintain power over such large groups of people. Today we understand much better the horrific events perpetrated by these dictators and it is difficult to understand how anyone could have agreed with someone like Hitler or Stalin. What is sometimes misunderstood are the ways in which people were manipulated. New technologies were developed throughout this period in order to effectively impose the ideas and beliefs of these dictators on the general population. World War I was the first time that propaganda was used so effectively to influence public opinion and generate nationalism in various countries such as the United States, Russia and then Germany during World War II and the Holocaust. Dictators in the early 20th century and throughout history have been incredibly effective at exploiting the prejudices of the time to advance their own agendas. It is clear that the most important aspect of this period of history is the newly developed ability to manipulate and influence public opinion through propaganda. This is evident in the events of Communist Russia, two world wars and the Holocaust, all of which were only possible through the use of propaganda and manipulation of huge groups of people. When trying to understand Stalin and Lenin, he is essential too...... middle of paper ...... uh was able to manipulate the way people thought of him, and of Germans in general . He promoted an idealized version of a German, of a strong, united Germany, and of himself as a powerful leader. All of these things were seen as strength by the other countries and influenced their hesitance to go to war against them, even though the German army could have been defeated if only it had been challenged sooner. To conclude, in the major events of the early 20th century the manipulation of people through propaganda was the most important aspect of the powerful dictators who ruled Europe. We have been and always will be convinced by what we see and hear, the more susceptible we are, the less capable we are of thinking for ourselves. Understanding how we are affected by these types of manipulations is important to becoming aware of this aspect of history and our daily lives..