WWI and Propaganda

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WWI and Propaganda

• An Introduction

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Propaganda Formal Definitions

• Information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread
  widely to help or harm a person, group, movement,
  institution, nation, etc.
• Material disseminated by the advocates or
  opponents of a doctrine or cause wartime
  propaganda.
• Dictionary.com

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Put Another Way

• A way of manipulating people using images and
  words to achieve a desired affect or outcome
• Propaganda clouds reality and gets in the way of
  clear and honest thinking

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Purpose of Wartime Propaganda

• To recruit soldiers, either through a draft or
  voluntary enlistment
• To finance the war effort through sale of war
  bonds or new taxes
• To eliminate dissent and unifying the country
  behind the war effort
• To conserve resources- food, oil, steel-
  necessary to wage war
• To increase participation in organizations to
  support the war.

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Tools of Wartime Propaganda

• Demonization (aligns the enemy with evil)
• Emotional appeals
• Name-calling
• Patriotic appeals
• Half-truths and lies
• Catchy slogans
• Evocative visual symbols
• Humor or caricatures

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WWI Examples

• Each of the nations which participated in World
  War One from 1914-18 used propaganda posters not
  only as a means of justifying involvement to
  their own populace, but also as a means of
  procuring men, money and resources to sustain the
  military campaign. (The following posters are
  from firstworldwar.com)

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• First, simply write what you see in your notes,
  then investigate how this is trying to work on
  its audience.

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• This poster appealed to immigrants who had come
  from Europe it also encouraged everyone to
  waste nothing (so food could go toward the war
  effort).

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• Again, simply write down what you see, then try
  to investigate how this poster is making its
  appeal.

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• This poster shows someone who builds war
  materiel, one navy recruit, and one army recruit
  it proposes that you also should join in the
  effort, and the Allies cant lose.

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• Same routine - describe what you see, then try to
  identify how it aims to appeal to its audience.

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• Propaganda appeals on different levels. You dont
  want to be seen as UN-patriotic, so you better
  sign that pledge!

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Shocking?

• This is from Germany during WWI. What is going on
  here?

14
Appeal to Religion

• This poster, from Germany, shows an image of
  Jesus blessing German soldiers as they go off to
  war. Who are the bad guys?

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Political Ideology

• Russias Communist Revolution pitted the working
  class against the wealthy minority. Workers of
  the World, Unite! encourages this poster. Read
  Marx if you are curious.