Why Russian propaganda also works in Germany
German-Russian in Cologne: Emigrants continue to live “mentally in Russia”
That’s why Alexei Bach is surprised that people emigrate from Russia and then “continue to mentally live in Russia”. There are several possible explanations for this. “I think there were some people in the cars who benefited from Putin’s regime,” says the 42-year-old. It is possible that some of them work for Russian companies – Putin is doing everything to ensure that his people also feel comfortable in Germany.
In part, however, he also sees the problem in the accidental integration of only poorly trained immigrants with simultaneous indoctrination by the Russian media. Above all, people from lower social classes became victims of Putin’s propaganda.
“They say Europe should be wiped off the face of the earth”
For years, attempts had been made to “get certain facts into our heads, which of course are not true at all”. Alexei Bach does not see Russian propaganda as an alternative opinion, but as a weapon – and it apparently also hits its target in Germany. Despite access to all common media.
According to Alexei Bach, anyone who doesn’t speak German well watches Russian television. However, the state senders in particular are riddled with propaganda. With Russia’s annexation of the Crimean Peninsula eight years ago, opinion-making became much tougher: “People are saying that Ukraine shouldn’t exist. People are also saying that Europe should be wiped off the face of the earth.”
Bach: Pro-Putin activists simply adopt propaganda strategies
Not only would false information be spread, viewers would also be manipulated and confused with all sorts of psychological tricks. For example, if there are several contradictory versions of a situation. Clear thinking was thus systematically prevented.
Alexei Bach has also observed that pro-Putin activists often argue in the same way against Western reporting, often right down to the wording. They are the arguments that they have been drummed into thousands of times by the Russian media: “Russia is right and everyone else is not.” it all boils down to that.
And the manipulation continues to have an effect on the Internet: Putin has an incredible number of commentators who are active on social networks and also write in English.
Psychologist: Propaganda builds on preconceptions
Pia Lamberty, a social psychologist at the Center for Monitoring, Analysis and Strategy (Cemas), also sees several factors as to why people believe pro-Russian propaganda. It is true that psychological explanations can provide a relevant approach. “However, you also have to factor in cultural and historical factors that explain why certain myths and propaganda narratives get caught in a society at all.”