Page "Joseph Goebbels" Paragraph 49

Once war began in September 1939, Goebbels began a steady process of extending his influence over domestic policy.

After 1940, Hitler made few public appearances, and even his broadcasts became less frequent, so Goebbels increasingly became the face and the voice of the Nazi regime for the German people.

With Hitler preoccupied with the war, Himmler focusing on the " final solution to the Jewish question " in eastern Europe, and with Hermann Göring ’ s position declining with the failure of the German Air Force ( Luftwaffe ), Goebbels sensed a power vacuum in domestic policy and moved to fill it.

Since civilian morale was his responsibility, he increasingly concerned himself with matters such as wages, rationing and housing, which affected morale and therefore productivity.

He came to see the lethargic and demoralized Göring, still Germany ’ s economic supremo as head of the Four Year Plan Ministry, as his main enemy.

To undermine Göring, he forged an alliance with Himmler, although the SS chief remained wary of him.

A more useful ally was Albert Speer, a Hitler favourite who was appointed Armaments Minister in February 1942.

Goebbels and Speer worked through 1942 to persuade Hitler to dismiss Göring as economic head and allow the domestic economy to be run by a revived Cabinet headed by themselves.