Words Worth Noting - November 12, 2026

“Outside Stalingrad, Hitler imposed a complete news blackout on events. Reports of the Russian offensive were published in Germany, but the news articles and newsreels stated that the offensive had been halted. This was true, but no mention was made of the fact that the offensive had not been halted until the 6th army had been surrounded. Propaganda Chief Joseph Goebbels was unhappy with this decision. He had built his enormously successful career on a platform of blending truth and lies with emotions and prejudice, but his key policy had always been to make whatever he said believable, even if it was actually untrue. Goebbels was not convinced that Stalingrad could be saved and was therefore disturbed by the fact that its plight was not to be talked about. He withdrew to think about how he and the Nazi propaganda machine would handle events.”

Rupert Matthews Stalingrad: The Battle that Shattered Hitler’s Dream of World Domination