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When Hitler had invaded most of Europe and offered Britain conciliation, Sefton Delmer was among the first to hurl his suggestion right back at him.

In the summer of 1941, Hitler ruled Europe from the Atlantic to the Black Sea. Britain was struggling to combat the powerful Nazi propaganda machine, which crowed victory and smeared its enemies.

However, inside Germany, there was one notable voice of dissent from the very heart of the military machine – Der Chef, a German whose radio broadcasts skilfully questioned Nazi doctrine. He had access to high-ranking military secrets and spoke of internal rebellion. His listeners included German soldiers and citizens.

But what these audiences didn’t know was that Der Chef was a fiction, a character created by the British propagandist Sefton Delmer, just one player in his vast counter-propaganda cabaret, a unique weapon in the war.

Written by Peter Pomerantsev
Abridged by Polly Coles

Read by Alan Cox
Produced by Clive Brill

A Brill production for Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ Radio 4

14 minutes

Last on

Wed 20 Mar 2024 00:30

Broadcasts

  • Tue 19 Mar 2024 09:45
  • Wed 20 Mar 2024 00:30