The Mechanism of Influence of the Nazi Occupation Authorities on the Mass Consciousness of the Krasnogvardeysk Inhabitants

The article examines the main factors that were inherent in the Nazi occupation regime as part of the formation of the mechanism of influence on the mass consciousness and everyday life of the occupied territory inhabitants using the example of the city of Krasnogvardeysk (Gatchina). Based on archival data, office documents, as well as personal sources, the main components of influence of the Nazi occupation authorities on local residents in order to change their mass consciousness, as well as to prevent any forms of resistance in the occupied territory, were identified. The following factors stand out most clearly in this system of influence: permanent intimidation of population with the aim of total control, use of ideological propaganda, strict censorship of information sources, the “Policy of Hunger”, as well as cruel repressions using torture and public executions in relation to civilian population. The occupation policy aimed to form negative attitude towards the Soviet regime among the population, a friendly attitude towards German soldiers as liberators of the population from Bolshevism, propaganda of cooperation and non-resistance, as well as propaganda of total submission within the framework of social-nationalist racial attitudes. This article was created as part of dissertation research on the topic “Everyday life and mass consciousness of residents of suburban areas of Leningrad in the 40s of the 20th century”.