In 1933, when Adolf Hitler came to power, the Nazis had control over less than three percent of Germany's 4,700 newspapers. The dismantling of the multi-party political system in Germany resulted in the closure of numerous newspapers affiliated with banned political parties. This also facilitated the government's takeover of printing facilities and equipment belonging to the Communist and Social Democratic Parties, which were often handed directly to the Nazis. In the ensuing months, the Nazis either took control of or influenced independent press outlets. In the early weeks of 1933, the Nazi regime used radio, print media, and newsreels to incite fears of an imminent "Communist uprising," redirecting public anxieties into political actions that stripped away civil liberties and democracy. Magazines during the German Third Reich included both propaganda-driven publications and general interest magazines that were co-opted by the Nazis.
