Nazi Propaganda’s Persistent Influence in the Middle East: Examining a Troubled Legacy

Nazi Germany’s Arab Propaganda Machine Shaped Middle East Politics

When Yunis Bahri’s booming voice declared “This is Berlin; long live the Arabs!” over shortwave radio on April 7, 1939, it marked the beginning of a powerful propaganda campaign that would reshape political consciousness across the Middle East. The celebrated Iraqi journalist, known for his commanding presence and razor-sharp wit, became the face of Nazi Germany’s sophisticated effort to court Arab populations during World War II.

From 1939 until 1945, the Voice of Berlin captivated listeners throughout the region, broadcasting a potent mix of religious sermons, political bulletins, and calls for armed revolt against British colonial powers. Contemporary observers described Bahri as an Iraqi “Lord Haw-Haw,” referencing the infamous British fascist who broadcast Nazi propaganda to the UK.

The broadcasts transformed existing Arab sympathy for Nazi Germany into a mass phenomenon. Through consistent messaging, the Voice of Berlin wove antisemitism and anti-Western sentiment into the emerging fabric of modern Arab mass media culture, essentially serving as the region’s first modern mass-media platform.

The promises made to Arab audiences were deliberately provocative and appealing: Jews would be expelled from Palestine, French forces would be driven from Syria, Egypt’s elite Pasha class would be overthrown, and Germany would sponsor pan-Arab unity. These messages resonated particularly strongly in Iraq, where anti-British sentiment was already widespread.

Hitler’s Directive No. 30 explicitly outlined the propaganda strategy: “A victory for the Axis will bring about the liberation of the countries of the Middle East from the English yoke and thus realize their right to self-determination. Whoever loves Freedom will, therefore, join the front against England.”

Throughout the broadcasts, hostility toward Zionism and alleged “Jewish conspiracies” served as the unifying theme. The broadcasts constructed an elaborate narrative of a unified imperialist front comprising “world Jewry,” the United States, and Great Britain, positioning Nazi Germany as the liberator that would free Arabs from this purported domination.

Bahri’s role was central to the operation’s success. Beyond reading news bulletins and translating Hitler’s speeches, he offered running commentary and narrated fabricated accounts of Arab massacres by Jews in Palestine. His warnings about British plots to raise a Jewish army to control the Middle East played on existing regional fears and resentments.

Even before the war, Nazi Germany had cultivated influence in the Arab world, particularly in Iraq. The regime’s blend of aggressive nationalism and Hitler’s personality cult appealed to many Arab nationalists seeking models for their own independence movements. During the 1930s, Arab admirers attempted to translate “Mein Kampf” into Arabic, sent youth delegations to Nazi events, and banned anti-Nazi literature.

Nazi officials recognized this receptiveness and actively cultivated these relationships. In 1937, Hitler Youth leader Baldur von Schirach toured Syria and Iraq, drawing enthusiastic crowds. German diplomats in Baghdad regularly screened propaganda films showing Hitler Youth parades and SA marches, celebrating “the great nationalist enthusiasm which came forth in Hitler’s bloodless revolution to awaken the glory of Germany.”

The influence extended beyond the Arab world. Iran, though not Arab, looked to Europe’s revolutionary movements for inspiration. In fact, the country officially changed its name from Persia to Iran in 1935 during the height of Nazi power, partly to emphasize supposed Aryan origins of its people. However, Iraq remained the Middle Eastern country most deeply influenced by Nazi propaganda.

The popularity of Nazi Germany ran so deep among Iraq’s working classes that women sang pro-German songs in the streets, celebrating “the men who took the Nazi name” and praying for German victory over Britain, America, and Russia.

This pro-German sentiment culminated in April 1941, when Rashid Ali al-Kilani, an anti-British politician, collaborated with pro-Nazi Iraqi officers known as the Golden Square to overthrow the regent of young King Faisal II. Though the coup initially succeeded and energized revolutionary sentiment across the Levant, British forces from India quickly intervened, restoring the previous government and forcing Kilani to flee to Berlin, where he joined other Arab exiles working with the Nazi regime.

The legacy of these propaganda efforts would echo through Middle Eastern politics for decades to come, influencing the development of nationalist movements and attitudes toward Israel, Western powers, and regional cooperation.