Against Britain and France it was described as a defensive war. easy enough to do as they had declared war on Germany

Against Russia, it was portrayed as a clash of ideologies that would secure Nazi Germanys future as a global power for generations. soldiers were promised acres of farmland in the east and slavic fieldhands to work their fields. The German soldier was depicted as unbeatable, the German Nazi state unbreakable. Few people considered defeat.

Later , after Stalingrad, it morphed into war for survival of European culture against slavic hordes led by Jewish masters. Rape and plunder was promised to be given to German people by Soviet subhumans. Morale was kept up by the fear of losing

still later, towards the end, no chance of victory could be promised. soldiers were urged to sacrifice themselves to drag the war on in hope that wonder weapons and allied casualties could bring the war to a negotiated end. the soldiers were tired of starving and being pounded by air and artillery. the citizens were tired of being bombed and starving. everyone was tired and wanted it to stop. only fear kept them going. fear of the soviets, fear of the democracies, fear of the nazis.