Instructions to German press attachées in foreign embassies, 1935

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The instructions to German press attachées in foreign embassies in 1935 were instructions to carry out activities for the Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda since the beginning of 1935.

The instructions were signed by the Reich Minister for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda and the Reich Minister for Foreign Affairs or their authorized representatives at the beginning of 1935 and sent to the press attachées (PAs) of the German embassies abroad. The instruction comprised six points.

task

The attachées had the task of recording and assessing the mood of the foreign population regarding German social, cultural and domestic politics. First and foremost, the foreign press should be used in its reporting. But also all events and processes that could be of importance for the German government should be reported. In doing so, the aspect that was related to the “national movement in Germany” had to be taken into account.

Instructions

The PAs received their instructions from the Ministry of Propaganda, which were given in coordination with the Foreign Office . In the foreign embassy, ​​the PAs were under the supervision of the head of mission or his deputy. This subordination existed regardless of the employment relationship the PAs had with the Propaganda Ministry. If the head of mission or his deputy gave orders to the PAs, they had to carry them out.

Reporting to the head of mission

The PAs had an obligation to report to the head of mission any observations or news they received that were of press or political significance. This in turn was obliged to explain the current situation to the PA.

Submission of reporting

All the reports were to be sent to the Propaganda Ministry via the official channels of the head of mission. The Federal Foreign Office should receive a copy of the respective report. It had to be taken into account that the preparation of the reports had to be carried out independently of the mission. However, double reporting should be avoided. The necessary instructions from the Ministry of Propaganda should be given through the Foreign Office. The Foreign Office should receive a copy of this.

The telegraphic transmission of the report was only allowed to take place via the cipher system available in the mission or similar facilities.

Conflicts of competence

As a result of the dual subordination to both the Foreign Office and the Propaganda Ministry, the violent conflict over the authority to issue instructions , which was initially dominated by the Propaganda Ministry (until February 2, 1938), after the appointment of Joachim von Ribbentrop as Foreign Minister, became a permanent phenomenon . This conflict was immanent in Hitler's system of rule , which cemented his position as ultimately the only decisive dictator. For the period from 1938 to 1945, in which Ribbentrop was Foreign Minister, the Foreign Office was initially dominant (also favored by Goebbels' weakening in the course of the Baarová affair ); With the beginning of the Second World War , Goebbels' influence increased; From the summer of 1941, the Ministry of Propaganda was predominantly in charge.

Service affiliation in the mission

The PAs were considered part of the diplomatic staff of the mission and will be notified accordingly to the receiving state. If a PA was active for several missions, his affiliation was tied to the whereabouts of the mission, where he was on duty. In terms of diplomatic staff, they ranked behind the diplomatic and consular staff of the mission during a public appearance, unless the protocol of the receiving state provided otherwise.

Official designations

The official name for the PA was "Press attachée at the German Embassy in ...". In the official correspondence, the copy for the PA was “German Embassy - The Press Attachée”.

reference

  • The Brown Network - How Hitler's Agents Work Abroad and Prepare for War , Editions du Carrefour, Paris 1935.