Download History 498 Term Paper

Sean Anderson
History 498
Term Paper
05-11-2010
Throughout World War II the countries involved acted in ways that usually would not be
acceptable by the general public. How then did the citizens of each nation end up supporting
them and even help fund the government’s action?” The answer to this question is through
propaganda. Propaganda is and always has been a major tool when trying to persuade someone
or strengthen an already existing idea. There are many different forms of it and all of them can
be used in diverse ways such as spreading morale or raising money. It can be aimed at almost all
people and is not limited by literacy. Picture propaganda has the same affect, if not a better one,
than text. It has the ability to greatly sway one’s opinion. Since it is mass-produced and placed
everywhere (especially during war time) people change their ideas of what they think is right.
They believe that since everyone else thinks one way, it has to be right. This would go as far as
making one group of people hate another even if they had never met. This was the case during
World War II when the people from the US and England had strong feelings of resentment
against most Japanese people even though they may not have ever encountered anyone from that
race. The propaganda of the time showed the nation’s true feelings, but it also swayed people to
make them believe the rest of the population. The following propaganda shows what each the
West and Japan may have thought of each other or what authors and governments wanted their
citizens to think. I will also attempt to find out which nations propaganda had a greater affect on
the population.
Learning about the specific types of propaganda that was used during World War II
would be useless if one did not first know and understand what propaganda is, attempts to do,
1
and the ways in which it is successful. Propaganda has been defined as “the procedures used by
individuals or groups to influence the public favorably towards the values of said individuals or
groups without the public knowing the source of such influence.”1 According to Marjorie Van
de Water of The Science News-Letter, propaganda does six different things. 1. It appeals not to
intelligence, but to the emotions. 2. It offers slogans and high-sounding phrases, such as
“Defend these tortured creatures!” 3. If often keeps its source hidden. 4. It urges haste, for delay
permits the reason to act. 5. It uses indirection, innuendo, insinuation and suggestion. Direct
statements that can be disproved are avoided. 6. Last, it takes advantage of strong attachments
that people already have. Propaganda may make it seem like Church, Government, freedom,
honor and family are being attacked and can only be defended by the course being urged. 2 Water
also suggests that,
“Propaganda is an assault against intelligence. To succumb to it is to dethrone reason and
set blinded emotion in its place… For successful propaganda never appeals to the mind. It
rouses the emotions. It takes advantage of all the prejudices, the hates and loves that are already
in a man’s heart. And it directs these forces against the individuals, the nations, the parties, or
the policies which the propagandist is undertaking to destroy.”3
This quote directly shows what each propagandist attempts to do. As number one from the list
above reads, “It (Propaganda) appeals not to intelligence, but to the emotions.” Propagandists
understand that by going after a person’s deepest emotions, that person is much for likely to act
without really thinking about what it is they are doing. By asking the people to act right away
there is more of a chance the propagandist’s goals will be fulfilled.4 If one waits and thinks
about their actions, they may not really like the outcome. These emotions can be looked at as a
Timasheff, N.S. The American Catholic Sociological Review , Vol. 4. No.1 (Mar., 1943).
Oxford University Press. Pg. 10
2 Water, Marjorie Van de “Propaganda.” The Science News Letter. Vol. 34, No. 15 (Oct. 8,
1938) Society for Science and the Public. Pg. 234
3 Water. Pg. 235
4 Ross, Stewart. World War II: Propaganda. New York. Times Learning. 1993. Pg. 5
1
2
human’s instincts. “The instincts of man are the only source of his emotions; and his emotions;
and his emotions, visible or invisible, are the source, the cause, and the meaning of his living, his
behaving.”5 As most people know and understand, it is almost impossible make someone love or
hate anything by merely giving them a presentation. Love and hate are very personal and
intimate to each and every one of us. It may be possible to arouse both love and hate through
presentations, but unless there is a true personal contact these emotions will not likely just be
created.6 At its core this is what propaganda comes out to be. It is and always has been
emotionally charged words or images that make people set aside reason and act on their feelings
and emotions. As long as humans continue to act on blind emotion and in the spur of the
moment (in other words, as long as people continue being human), propaganda will continue
manipulating actions.
Before I get into the Japanese and West views, I will give a brief history. Contrary to
what many believe, propaganda is not a recent phenomenon. It has been around for centuries
and was used back in ancient times. The only difference between the propaganda that is used
now and what was used then is the technology that is used to create it and a greater awareness of
how effective it actually is. The actual word originated during the Reformation. The Roman
Catholic Church created a commission of Cardinals to “propagate” the faith in non-Catholic
lands. This meant that these Cardinals went around and tried to persuade people to believe and
think like them. In essence, this is exactly what modern propaganda attempts to do.
“The history of propaganda is based on three interweaving elements: first, the increasing need,
with the growth of civilization and the rise of nation-states, to win what has been called “the
battle for people’s minds”; second, the increasing sophistication of the means of communication
available to deliver propagandistic messages; and third, the increasing understanding of the
Zilboorg, Gregory. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol.
198. July 1938. Pg. 117
6 Zilboorg. Pg. 121
5
3
psychology of propaganda and the commensurate application of such behavioral findings.”7
These three key ideas have been followed and experimented with as long ago as recorded history
takes us. Although ancient civilizations such as Egypt had sporadic elements of propaganda
such as the Sphinx, it was not until after 800B.C.E with the Greeks that a systematic application
of propaganda appeared. This emerged when Xerxes and the Persians were attempting to take
over all of Greece. It did not look very promising for the Greeks until Themistocles, and
Athenian naval commander sent Xerxes disinformation. He got away with this disinformation
on three separate occasions. This disinformation told Xerxes that the Greek troops that he had
recently acquired were not faithful to him, which in turn led Xerxes to not send these troops out
for battle, thus decreasing the number of actual troops that would be attacking Greece.8 This
disinformation is considered the first real form of propaganda because it ultimately influenced
and changed Xerxes’ mind, causing him to act in a way that he wouldn’t have under any other
circumstances. I believe that this is considered real propaganda because it helped implant a
thought or emotion into one’s head that they would not have had otherwise.
The use of propaganda can be traced through America from the very beginning during
colonial times. Throughout America’s history, it seems as if the propaganda itself really hits a
peak right before or during a war. These propaganda techniques ranged from simple to complex.
Some were as straightforward as signs telling everyone to boycott the British goods while others
took a little more effort. Many American revolutionaries proved that they understood the effect
that propaganda could have on others. They wrote many different letters and pamphlets under
pseudonyms to disguise themselves and make it seem like there was more resistance to Britain’s
policy than there really was. For example Sam Adams wrote under more than twenty-five
7
8
Jowett, Garth S. Propaganda and Persuasion. December 2005. Page 50
Jowett Page 52
4
different names. Ben Franklin even quoted his understanding of propaganda techniques by
saying,
“The facility with which the same truths may be repeatedly enforced by placing them daily in
different lights in newspapers…gives a great chance of establishing them. And we now find that
it is not only right to strike while the iron is hot but that it may be very practicable to heat it by
continually striking."9
If people keep hearing these ideas from different people in reliable sources such as the
newspapers, they may start believing them.
This understanding of propaganda carried on and grew throughout the years. This was
shown during the American Civil War. Both the Union and the Confederate states sent
propaganda abroad in order to influence foreign feelings and draw them into the cause. The
citizens at the time were just realizing that propaganda would be used not only to strengthen your
ideas with the people of your own nation, but also with the people of other nations. Abraham
Lincoln may have been the Union’s best propagandist. He wrote letters directly to British labor
unions and textile industries to support the Union’s case.10 His speeches could also be used as
different kinds of propaganda. The “House Divided” speech was one that greatly united the
Northerners behind the cause. Propaganda has been around for ages and will continue long after
we are gone.
It is important to understand what each side was thinking at the time. I am going to begin
by looking at America’s view of the war in the Pacific, directly pertaining to their view of the
Japanese people. Ernie Pyle was a journalist during World War II. He was transferred to the
Pacific in 1945, only a few months before Germany surrendered. His statement about his initial
Unknown Author. “Propaganda- Revolution, War, and Propaganda to1917.” Encyclopedia
of the New American Nation. 2003
10 Unknown Author. “Propaganda- Revolution, Was, and Propaganda to1917.” Encyclopedia
of the New American Nation. 2003
9
5
experiences best sums up the public’s view of the Japanese people. He states, “In Europe we felt
that our enemies, horrible and deadly as they still were, were still people… But out here I soon
gathered that the Japanese were looked upon as something subhuman and repulsive; the way
some people feel about cockroaches and mice.” 11 To Americans, the Japanese were different
than their other enemies. According to some they were just lesser developed human beings
compared to us or even the Germans, but others looked at them as savage animals that did not
have a trace of humanity running through their veins.
This idea is greatly reinforced by looking at Figure 1. This is a disturbing image of a
Japanese soldier carrying off a naked woman away from destruction happening in the
background. It seems that after pillaging some town or village, the soldier is taking “his prize.”
His prize comes in the form of a naked woman that is thrown over his shoulder. Her naked body
suggests that she is a victim of being raped. This poster was submitted to a poster contest in
1942. It won, and later was shown in an exhibit at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. The
race of the woman is one of the main attention getters for the viewers. She is white, and most
likely American.12 The top of the poster has a slogan that reads, “This is the Enemy.” I believe
that this poster was targeted towards men most of all. After looking at this, men would think of
all the women in their lives that they cared for. In my personal opinion I believe that this would
motivate the men to get involved in the war effort because they would not want anything like this
happening to the women they care about. I think this because my grandfather was in World War
II. He loved my grandmother very much and was very protective of her. By seeing this poster
Lynn, John Albert. Battle: A History of Combat and Culture. Pg. 228
Navarro, Anthoney V. A Critical Comparison Between Japanese and American
Propoganda During World War II. https://www.msu.edu/~navarro6/srop.html. Michigan
State University
11
12
6
he would get very defensive and want to do something to stop this kind of evil from happening.
If other men at the time were anything like my grandfather, this most would invoke similar
emotions from them.
This attitude was extremely prevalent throughout the United States and Britain. This was
shown when an American scientific magazine published an article in 1945 titles, “Why
Americans Hate Japs More than Nazis.” Even though they did not specifically state that this was
the case, no one really seemed to oppose the claim. This article was unintentionally, yet
extremely suggestive in many different ways, but the biggest one came in what the enemies were
called (Nazis and Japs). On one side, by using the name Nazis America was suggesting there is
still room for there to be some Germans that can be perceived as good and not evil. On the other
hand, the term “Japs” does not really suggest that there are any, or that there even is a possibility
of, a “good Japanese” person. The term “good Japanese” started to have a unique meaning.
According to Admiral William F. Halsey “The only good Jap is a Jap who’s been dead six
months.” This idea spread even further when in 1943, Leatherneck, put a photograph of
Japanese bodies from Guadalcanal with a headline that read “GOOD JAPS.”13 This reinforced
to the public that Admiral Halsey was right in his statement that these people are only good when
they are deceased.
One may question how the public, with limited personal encounter of the Japanese
people, could feel such hatred. The answer comes in the form of propaganda. As was talked
about in greater detail earlier, propaganda is used, in part, to sway the public opinions about
various topics. In this case it is about the Japanese people. A very common technique that was
used was to put the Japanese in the form of animals. This was used to take away all humanity
13
Dower, John W. War Without Mercy. Pg. 79.1986. New York. Pantheon Books.
7
that one might see in the enemy. These animals came in the form of snakes and rats, but the
most common was as a primate. Taking away the human aspect made them much easier to hate,
as well as to kill. A great example of this is by looking at Figure Two and Three. Figure 2
shows the Japanese as a curious specimen while Figure 3 shows them as a beast that should be
exterminated. Figure 2 shows different intellectuals, including a scientist, examining a short
seemingly half monkey half man specimen. This hybrid is wearing the stereotypical Japanese
attire. This includes raggedy clothes along with the wooden platform shoes. Although Japan
may have proved itself at times through its military in the pacific, the view that these men were
intellectually lesser was still a common view. One of these intellectuals is holding a piece of
parchment that states “International Problem… What goes on in the Japanese mind?” By asking
a question like this it seems like the “creature” is a lab rat. The three men standing around do not
even look confused. They look more angry or annoyed. It seems like they are posing the
question of what to do with this creature. Figure 3 posses a solution to that question. In this
cartoon, a gun that is labeled “civilization” is pointed at the head of an ape. This ape, as you
may have guessed, represents Japan. “Murderers of American Fliers” is written across the ape’s
chest. This is in reference to the execution of the Americans who landed in Tokyo in 1943.14
By looking closely at the apes face, it seems to be expressionless. It does not show any fear or
show any signs of being apologetic for its actions. This is trying to show that the Japanese are
not conscience of their brutal wicked actions. Because of this ignorance, they would most likely
continue to kill and kill unless they met a quick end. According to many there was no chance of
repentance in the nation of Japan.
Navarro, Anthoney V. A Critical Comparison Between Japanese and American
Propoganda During World War II. https://www.msu.edu/~navarro6/srop.html. Michigan
State University
14
8
This vision of the Japanese as animals was not a new thing that arose after the attack on
Pearl Harbor. David Low, who was an antifascist cartoonist showed this when he posted Figure
4 in July of 1941, months before Pearl Harbor. As can be seen, the image shows three white
service men stripped to the waste, all-gazing out into the Pacific. These three men are labeled
and identified as the United States, Britain, and the U.S.S.R. Behind them there is a monkey
who is wearing eyeglasses clutching a knife in its hand. The monkey is labeled with the word
“Jap.” The monkey is playing “Eeny, meeny, miney-, mo…” to decide which man to stab in the
back. Another example of this image of Japanese as monkeys being around before the attack on
Pearl Harbor came by just looking at different articles written by Western journalists. Dower
tells us that during the early months of the Japanese conquest of Southeast Asia, the Japanese
soldiers were referred to the “apes in khaki.” This image became so popular and common to
Western thinking that when General Yamashita Tomoyuki’s troops quickly made their way
down the jungle Malay Peninsula and captured Singapore, it was said that they had accomplished
this extraordinary attack by swinging from tree to tree.15 In 1942 Britain’s very popular satirical
magazine, called Punch, went along with these rumors by running a full-page cartoon titles “The
Monkey Folk,” as shown in figure 5. This cartoon shows monkey’s swinging through the jungle
with helmets on their heads while carrying rifles. Attached to the bottom of this cartoon is a
caption from Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book. It reads, “Always pecking at new things are the
bander-log. This time, if I have any eyesight, they have pecked down trouble for themselves.”16
In Kipling’s stories bandar-log is another word for monkeys. I believe that this quote is
refereeing to the Japanese and their continuous actions of trying to expand through any means
possible. It is saying that if they keep these actions up, and we see the heading in our direction,
15
16
Dower, Page 84
E.V. Know. Punch Magazine. 1942. “The Monkey Folk”
9
they are going to be in a lot of trouble and will not succeed. Once an image of the enemy was
created, it spread like wildfire. U.S. marines would make jokes about tossing grenades into trees
and blasting out, “three monkeys- two bucktooth’s and a real specimen.”17 Different magazines
fueled these types of jokes. The New Yorker was one of these. Figure 6 shows a cartoon
reinforcing the images of Japanese soldiers swinging through trees as monkeys. This cartoon
shows a number of white soldiers in firing position while in the middle of a thick jungle. The
trees of the jungle are full of monkeys and Japanese snipers. One soldier says to another,
“Careful now, only those in uniform.”18 This is just another Western view that is saying the only
difference between Japanese people and monkeys are the uniforms.
It was not even just the common public and military who had this view of Japanese as
primates. It was also used in the highest levels of Washington and London. About a year and a
half before the war had started Churchill told Roosevelt that he was counting on the president ”to
keep that Japanese dog quiet in the Pacific.” This beastly comparison was seen as far back as
1919 when Woodrow Wilson took a stand against the Japanese, Stimson told the US cabinet that
the Japanese had retreated like whipped puppies.19 Although all these examples we have looked
at of humans being represented, as animals are very demeaning, the idea of this type of
symbolism in itself is not. Looking at figures 7, 8, and 9 shows this. Figure 7 shows a picture
of a bald eagle. As is well known, this eagle represents the United States of America as a whole.
This is where being compared to an animal is shown in a positive light. The bald eagle was
adapted as our nations symbol on June 20th, 1782 because of its long life and great strength.20
An eagle is also free to fly where it wants. This aspect was greatly looked at since the U.S. was
Dower, Page 85
Anthony Lane. The New Yorker. Sept. 12, 1942.
19 Dower, Page 82
20 Unknown Author. www.baldeagleinfo.com. Copy write 1999-2010
17
18
10
finally a free nation. This depiction of America as an Eagle continued to spread and was widely
accepted. Before Dr. Seuss was widely known for stories such as “Green Eggs and Ham” he was
busy creating political cartoons expressing his own views. Throughout these cartoons the United
States were portrayed in two different ways, as the human Uncle Sam and as an eagle. While it
is definitely an eagle, many people may not recognize it as one. One Seuss follower even wrote
a letter to the editor complaining: “Much as I admire and appreciate the work of Dr. Seuss, I
question the fitness of continuing to picture our Uncle Sam as an ostrich. At least he should be
transformed into an Eagle.”21 While the image used (Figure 8) may be a little unorthodox, it
non the less shows how the representation of an eagle became a national phenomenon and
continues to be popular today.
Going along those same lines, England is represented by the image of a lion, even though
lions are not even native to England (Figure 9). This is because it is believed that the lion best
personifies the qualities that England has for itself; such as strength, courage, dignity, and pride.
As can be seen, it is not always bad to be compared to an animal. It just depends on how the
comparison is used. When comparing the Japanese to monkeys, there are many different
attachments that go along with it. These include the enemy being stupid, savaged, and even
subhuman. This greatly influenced the public as well as the soldiers by blocking their ability to
view the Japanese people as regular human beings or of being rational at all. By making the
enemy looked at as stupid animals, any guilt that may have come from killing someone was
erased. For most people it is much easier to kill an animal than a person. One great primary
source that reiterates this point was a diary that was kept by an American seaman during the
Pacific War. In it there are many descriptions of what marines would tell the sailors when they
Spiegelman, Art. Dr. Seuss Goes to War. The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor
Seuss Geisel. The New Press, New York. Pg. 23
21
11
came aboard. On particular entry quoted, “Fighting the Japs is like fighting a wild animal… The
Japs take all kinds of chances, they love to die… when they die, they turn over on their backs
and smile and face the sun.”22 If people took this view to heart, no one would feel bad about
killing the Japanese. Besides deserving to die, it seemed like it was almost a favor to kill them.
As many children continue to look towards Dr. Seuss for his words of wisdom, we can
look at his work to shed some light on public feelings during wartime. To do this we need know
what Dr. Seuss really believed in. At the outbreak of the war, race relations between white and
black people in America continued to hit road bumps. A few of these road bumps were that in
the ‘30s there was an average of ten or more lynching’s, 1943 lead to a great deal of riots when
black workers joined assembly lines that had been all-white, and the Jim Crow laws were still
enforced throughout the country. These Jim Crow laws stated that they mandated de jure racial
segregation in public facilities. This meant that there was a “separate but equal” rule for all
black Americans.23 The topic of anti-black racism and anti- Semitism became issues that Dr.
Seuss greatly looked at and publicized in his cartoons. This is shown when looking at Figure
10. As can be seen Uncle Sam uses a flint gun to extract a “racial prejudice bug” from the brain
of Americans. The man who is getting disinfected is saying “Gracious, was that in my head?”
while many other Americans wait inline fir their turn. The top of the cartoon reads “What this
Country Needs is a Good Mental Insecticide.” Dr. Seuss is saying that the people of the United
States are unknowingly discriminating against each other. In order for America to band together
we need to get rid of these racial factors that continue to drive us apart. Another image that
shows Seuss’ feelings of anti-racism is Figure 11. This image shows a giant maze and at the
Unknown Author. New York Times. May 10th, 1942. 533-534 and 560-560
23 Smythe, Hugh H. The Concept “Jim Crow”. Social Forces. Vol. 27, No. 1 (Oct. 1948- May
1949) Pg. 45
22
12
center a big building labeled U.S. War Industries. The beginning of the maze reads “Negro JobHunters Enter Here.” If you look closely at all the routes to the maze, they all lead to dead ends,
and nowhere close to the desired destination. A Philip Randolph inspired this cartoon. On June
16th, about 18,000 came together at Madison Square Garden to hear him start a campaign against
discrimination in the military, in war industries, in government agencies, and in labor unions.24
Again Seuss was hinting that the only way for America to be as prosperous as it potentially could
be would be for White people to stop discriminating based on race and have everyone come
together and work as one.
As can be seen, Dr. Seuss was a great campaigner for civil rights and went against
racism. While his actions most of the time were very righteous, he was not spared from being a
victim of his time. Along with most Americans, apart from those who grew up on the West
Coast, Dr. Seuss had limited contact with Japanese people or Americans of Japanese decent. His
campaign for civil right and against anti-Semitism had one major flaw: Japanese Americans. As
is common knowledge, Pearl Harbor caused the placement of all Japanese Americans living on
the West Coast into interment camps. “On February 13, 1942, just days before the Roosevelt
Administration’s decision to incarcerate all Japanese Americans living on the West Coast, Dr.
Seuss drew “Waiting for the Signal Home…”25 This cartoon can be seen by looking at Image
12. The image shows the West Coast- Washington, Oregon, and California- with a line of
almost identical Japanese people extending across all three states. The line leads up to a small
hut with the title “Honorable 5th Colum.” All the Japanese people are getting packages that are
labeled TNT from the hut. The slogan on top of the cartoon reads, “Waiting for the Signal From
Home…” On the top of the hut there is one man looking across the ocean with a telescope doing
24
25
Minear. Dr. Seuss. Pg 24
Minear. Dr. Seuss. Pg. 25
13
exactly what the title suggests. A fifth column is a group that goes against a large nation from
within, and aids an external enemy. The cartoon suggests that all Japanese Americans are
secretly involved in a plan to attack America from within. This cartoon outrageous considering
the fact that no one on the West Coast was ever convicted for an action that Dr. Seuss suggests.
This cartoon greatly resembles one of Dr. Seuss’ other pieces of work that was produced only a
few days after Pearl Harbor (Figure 13). It shows Uncle Sam, as an Eagle, at the end of “Jap
Alley.” There is a long line of alley cats that all have faces that resemble Dr. Seuss’ drawing of
Japanese faces. The cats are getting closer and closer to Uncle Sam and are attempting to pounce
on him. The top read, “Maybe only alley cats, but Jeepers! A hell of a lot of ‘em.” The one
question that many people have had was “How could so antiracist and progressive a man as Dr.
Seuss partake in such racism?”26 The reason for this, as suggested earlier, was that Dr. Seuss
was just a product of his times. He was even quoted saying, “… right now, when the Japs are
planting their hatchets in our skulls, it seems like a hell of a time for us to smile and warble… If
we want to win, we’ve got to kill Japs.”27 While at this time there was a lot of debate over
whether or not black Americans could participate in anything, it was almost a nationwide feeling
that all Japanese people were evil and against America. This is seen by looking at the letters that
people sent in response to Dr. Seuss’ work. While there was letters sent in about Dr. Seuss’
Eagle, there was never a single one that went against his examples of “mainstream American
racism against Asians in America.”28
American propaganda did not only consist of pictures and paintings comparing its
enemies to something that needed to be killed. While that was one of the more popular themes,
Minear. Dr. Seuss. Pg. 25
Sato, Hiroaki. “The Cat in the Hat Goes to War Like That.” The Japan Times. Feb. 8, 2000.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20000208a1.html
28 Minear. Dr. Seuss. Pg. 26
26
27
14
it did not stand-alone. Other propaganda focused on uniting the country as a whole after the
tragic events of Pearl Harbor. Figures 14 and 15 show examples of this. Written on them is
“Avenge December 7th!” and “Remember Dec. 7th!” The artists want the nation to unite so that
the people who died in the tragic attack did not die in vein. These posters were used as a symbol
of America’s strength and ability to band together when the unthinkable has happened. This is
similar to everyone putting out flags on their property after the September 11th attack. America
is not going to let other nations tear us apart. Times when enemies try to weaken the United
States are times when everyone bands together and are at their strongest.
Another American propaganda technique was to have pictures of soldiers that were
actually fighting overseas. The most famous news photograph of the war was the flag rising on
Iwo Jima in February of 1945, as represented in Figure 16. “The command decided it needed a
morale-boosting symbol for the troops on the island that also would demonstrate progress to the
public at home uneasy about the high casualty rate.”29 Even though this image was staged, it
still succeeded in reaching its goal. It showed that while the fighting continues all the soldiers
are till working in a joint effort against the enemy. The country is still united and there is
nothing anyone can do to break it apart. This picture was put on all different types of items
during the time, such as stamps and postcards and much more. It was just another way of lifting
up the morale of the country and asking more people to back the war effort. This photograph did
not only do it part in visual propaganda, but also brought in the aspect of live appearances by war
heroes to the American people. “President Roosevelt demanded that the men in the picture
immediately return home for a heroes’ welcome and to appear in the seventh war bond drive
29
Brewer, Susan A. Why America Fights. Oxford University Press. 2009 Page 126
15
show…” 30 After weeks of searching, it was found that three of the six were dead. The three that
lived went home and did their part in participating in tours, speeches and reenactments of the
flag raising. The more public appearances these heroes made, the more support people had for
what was happening half way across the world.
Since wars are obviously extremely expensive, the government needed to find a way to
fund its military operations. This funding came in the form of war bonds. I war bond brings in
capital for the government and since everyday citizens are the ones buying these bonds, the
citizens feel a sense of involvement in the national militaries. Propaganda was a main way that
the government stressed the need of the purchase of war bonds. Figure 17 greatly appeals to the
Western citizen. It states “Bonds Buy Ships! BUY MORE BONDS,” and has a image of a ship
being built. After seeing all the propaganda of the cruelty of the enemy, the Western citizen is
left feeling helpless. They want some way in which to offer their support of their countries
involvement in the war. Purchasing war bonds gives these people the satisfaction they were
looking for. These people are buying the ships that are being used to fight in the war. Because
of this, they might feel as if they are the ones defeating the enemy. This was all part of
Roosevelt’s plan. He believed that victory was only possible if the energy of all the American
people, not only soldiers, were unleashed. He stressed the importance of “the Home Front” in
helping the nation move towards the ultimate goal. In his second fireside chat he stated, “one
front where everyone in the United States-every man, woman, and child- is in action. That front
is right here at home.”31 Image 18 is a great example of propaganda that attempted to include
everyone into the war effort. It shows a picture of Rosie the Riveter flexing here muscles with a
quote bubble that says “We Can Do It!” This is showing that it is not only men who are
30
31
Brewer Page 127
Brash, Sarah. The American Story: World War II. Time-Life Books. Pg. 39
16
important. Woman can be strong and tough just like their counterparts. This was important
because it came at a time when war was mostly looked at through a man’s perspective.
One major difference between the Western and Japanese propaganda was the ways in
which each viewed racial and racist thinking. While racism in the west took heed of belittling
other, the Japanese people were preoccupied with lifting their own spirits. They still were not
above putting down others races, but more time was spent deciding what made the Japanese race
unique and superior to all others. This superiority came in the form of purity. Japanese people
took great pride in the idea that they were “purer” than anyone else. An example of this is seen
by looking at a document approved by the Japanese government on the day of Pearl Harbor. It
was titles, “An Outline of Information and Propaganda Policies for the War between Japan and
the Anglo-American Power.”32 In this document, it was supposed to be made very clear that the
enemy’s (America) self desire to conquer the world made war unavoidable. It said that Japan’s
reasons for attacking were moral and pure. Japan’s goal was to “create a new world order which
would enable all nations and races to assume their proper place in the world, and all people to be
at peace in their own sphere.”33 It was made clear that the war was not a racial one, but instead
honorable and benefited everyone.
One great example that shows how Japan believed that they were much more pure than
other nations is seen when looking at Figure 19. This figure is entitles “Purging One’s Head of
Anglo- Americanism,” and has a admonition “Get rid of that dandruff encrusting your head!”34
It shows a woman kneeling down and brushing her hair. She is brushing her hair in order to get
all the dandruff out. The dandruff and dirt that is being combed out is identified as extravagance,
Uchikawa Yoshima, ed., Gendai Shiryo 41: Masu Media Tosei. 1975: Misauzu Shobo.
Pages 367- 71
33 Dower Page 205
34 Dower, Page 191
32
17
selfishness, hedonism, liberalism, materialism, money worship, individualism, and AngloAmerican ideas. In short, these are all ideas that are characterized as Western. The Japanese
people want to rid themselves of any kind of Western influence, especially the Americans. All
of the Western ideas that are being thrown from the women’s head do not represent a pure,
untarnished state. The artist is saying that the Japanese people, by getting rid of this outside
influence, are unique and superior to others because their way of life style is more simplistic and
honorable.
There were also many other images that were created to show that Japan influence was
superior to that of the Western enemy. Figure 20 is a graphic that was printed in a 1942 issue of
Manga by Ikeda Eiji. Manga is magazine in Japan that includes a wide variety of comic strips
and print cartoons. This picture shows a giant sun with a face that seems to be throwing three
men and a shoe away from it. The sun represents Japan and the three men and the shoe are
meant to be the A-B-C-D powers. The A-B-C-D powers are America, Britain, China, and the
Dutch. This picture is saying that as the pure Japanese people grow in power they will get rid of
the wealthy, greedy, stubborn influence of the other nations. By wearing prison stripes, the
American is drawn as a criminal. I also view the two crowns falling from the American and the
British person to mean that they are being dethroned. The artist could be trying to say that when
Japan finally spreads its influence on the world, they will take over for Britain and America as
the world’s super power. As we all know. China is also depicted here. Even though China is a
Asian nation, Japan was not very fond of them. They are shown here with what looks like the
tail of a big or some other animal. As was already talked about with America portraying Japan
as apes, we know that is it a common theme to promote an enemy as something less than human.
18
The Dutch must not have been as important as the other three nations, seeing as they are not even
represented by a human, but instead by a shoe.
Japan’s idea of being more pure than others was not aimed only at the Western enemy.
Throughout the war, Japan believed that its journey through Asia was a virtuous one. Japan
came up with the idea of an Asian Co- Prosperity Sphere. This concept meant that Japan wanted
to create a self-sufficient group of Asian nations in which they were the leaders and free of
Western influence. The Japanese people did not like what the West was doing to their Asian
brothers. This included the British in Hong Kong and Singapore, the French in South East Asia,
and the U.S. in the Philippines. Japan wanted to “liberate East Asia from white invasion and
oppression.”35 By bringing all the Asian nations together under Japan’s lead, they would all
achieve great prosperity that the nations had not seen before. This would all come without any
Western influence. Because Japan believed their way of life to be greater than the other Asian
nations, researchers made it clear that any “assimilation within the Co-Prosperity Sphere could
only involve other countries gradually being lifted up toward Japan’s level.”36 It was very
important that this process not head in the opposite direction and pull Japan down to an inferior
level.
The Co-Prosperity Sphere contributed greatly to the propaganda effort in Japan. This
Sphere made it so the targeted audience in Japan was different than the audience that America
and the West were aiming at. The Americans really did not have to think about bringing in a
foreign audience. They were just in it for themselves and no one else. This was not the case for
Japan. In order to be successful in their journey through Asia, as well as the war in the Pacific,
Rhodes, Anthony. Propaganda. Chelsea House Publishers. New York and London. 1976.
Page 252
35
36
Dower, Page 284
19
Japan had the difficult task of conquering Asian countries, as well as trying to persuade them to
join in against the West.
“Japan had to positively promote their ideas to the Chinese, Koreans, South and Southeast
Asians that a unified Asia, under Japanese leadership, free from the capitalistic and economic
influence of the West, was inherently and naturally good… Japan failed to recognize any
wrongdoings it may have committed to other countries. It maintained adamantly that Japan’s
motives were, without question, for good and only good, and that any action taken against other
Asian countries, such as China were brought about on account of self-defense. ”37
In order for this to work Japan needed to find a scapegoat for their actions. They tried to turn
the Asian nations from thinking about Japan’s actions of invading to the wrongdoings of the
West. For example when it came to China, Japan “dramatized all the evils of the opium trade,
allegedly encouraged by these two Western Powers for their own sordid commercial end.”38 The
way Japan saw it was that instead of the Asian nations criticizing Japan for their actions, they
would be praising them for coming to the rescue. “The Japanese propaganda line- Asia for
Asians- was very effective. It is no great wonder, then, that the Japanese military men in
Southeast Asia had slight respect for the Europeans and this attitude was carried home where it
proliferated.”39Propaganda was again a good way to spread this idea. Figure 21 does a great job
of portraying the West as the enemy. This image was also shown in Manga in 1942. It shows
the three leaders, Roosevelt, Churchill, and Chiang Kai-Shek, on a ship walking over the
mangled bodies of people who appear to be slaves. Their dark skin alludes to these people being
from Africa or South Asia. It was very popular to use America’s past history of racial tensions
Navarro, Anthoney V. A Critical Comparison Between Japanese and American
Propoganda During World War II. https://www.msu.edu/~navarro6/srop.html. Michigan
State University
38 Rhodes, Anthony. Propaganda. Chelsea House Publishers. New York and London. 1976.
Page 244
39 Hoyt P. Edwin. Japan’s War: The Great Pacific Conflict. McGraw-Hill Book Company.
1989. Pg. 266
37
20
to the forefront. Since they are on a ship, this image suggests that they will travel to all nations
inferior to their own with the goal of exploiting all they can and eventually taking over. This
idea is reinforced when looking at the three men’s posture and hand placements. All three of
them have their right hand in their coat. This is in reference to Napoleon years before. If
nothing is done to stop them these men, as Napoleon attempted, will try to take over anywhere
and everywhere possible. The artist is trying to make the other Asian nations see that they are
not strong enough to take on such a great power without the help of Japan. Although these
nations are not happy about the idea of being taken over by Japan, they should take the lesser of
two evils so they are not ruled by the wealthy money hungry Westerners. While the artist plays
on the ABCD’s power and wrongdoings, he also draws them with comical faces. Their faces
show that they are not really as strong as they want everyone else to think. It shows the Japanese
and other Asian nations that these world super power are vulnerable and can be defeated if
everyone bands together against the West.
I believe that Figure 22 gives us the best idea of what Japan really though of its Asian
brothers. At first look, it seems like Japan is only showing their good intentions with this work.
It shoes a hard working Indonesian man grasping the hand of a Japanese man in uniform. These
two men are in the light of a bright sun that is labeled, “Co-Prosperity Sphere.” In the dark
running the other way is a Dutch women. The sun seems to be driving the Dutch out. When the
other Asian nations saw this, they probably only saw the good in it. The Japanese people would
come to the rescue and help its Asian from any dangers that may be encountered. In reality, this
picture is showing how little the Japanese thought of the Nations it was “helping.” The first
aspect that shoes this is the men’s attire. Even though you can only see the arm, the Japanese
man is fully clothed while the Indonesian man is half naked. This alludes to the fact that these
21
native people are only half as civilized as the Japanese people. “Not only is his inferior “proper
place” as a race, nation, and culture absolutely clear, but so also is his subordinate role in the
division of labor within the Greater East Asia Co-Prosperity Sphere.”40 Little does this
Indonesian country know, if it joins the Co-Prosperity Sphere it will not really have a say in
anything that happens. The last part of this picture that struck me as off was the difference in
skin color between the native man and the Japanese man. I would have assumed that Japanese
artists would draw Japan and all other Asian people with the same skin color. This would show
that they are alike and almost equals and might help the other Asian nations to go along with
Japan’s ideas. This was obviously not the case. In reality “…the Japanese themselves looked
down on all other “colored” races. At the same time, intriguingly, they themselves had esteemed
“whiteness” since ancient times-not only in an individual’s complexion, but also in a more
abstract symbol of purity.”41 As was talked about earlier, Japan believes that their life style is
nothing but pure and good. By drawing the other nations with a darker complexion, Japan was
saying that these native people were uncivilized and possibly even savage. Only the spread and
acceptance of Japan’s idea could save them, as shown again by the Japanese Co-Prosperity Sun.
The final aspect of this image that reinforces the idea that Japan is always right is shown by the
size difference between the native man and the Japanese man. Even though only the Japanese
man’s arm is showing, it is easy to tell that he would tower over anyone else. By only showing
the arm, the artist could be trying to play to the idea of “the hand of God.” In my own words I
believe that this part of the picture is saying, from the Japanese perspective, “Do what I tell you
to do because I am all powerful and you are not. It will only benefit you, but if you do not listen
there will be dire consequences.” Japan wants the other countries to know they are only trying to
40
41
Dower Page 200
Bastide, Roger. Daedalus. “Color, Racism, and Christianity,” 1967. Page 312-327
22
help by colonizing them. In reality I believe that Japan thinks they are superior and is only
proceeding on its conquest through Asia because they have the ability to and in the end it will
benefit Japan a lot more than it would these other Asian nations.
Japan also had different types of war propaganda besides “the pure self” theme. While
this was the main theme, the other types were not unlike that of propaganda from the West. This
included posters that called people to join the military as well as some that belittled their enemy
and compared them to something not human, which was intended to divide the enemy nation.42
Figures 23 and 24 are two images that can be greatly compared to American propaganda.
Figure 23 shows a charging Japanese soldier with a bayonet. This soldier is running over both
British and American flags. It has the words, “Fire and Never Quit!” written on it as well. This
image focuses more on the effort of war more than anything else. While it recognizes the
enemy, it does not make fun or stereotype them in any way. Instead it gives hope to the Japanese
people. If they continue to believe and work hard it will be possible to defeat the enemy. All
that is needed is perseverance. Figure 24 is almost exactly like the picture of Uncle Sam, but
instead it is aimed at the Japanese people. This man points to the viewer and encourages them to
join the Japanese military.
The New York Times published an article almost two decade before the outbreak of
World War Two that showed exactly what Japan attempted to and succeeded in with their use of
propaganda. An intelligent Japanese man from Tokyo was quoted saying,
“You will be surprised at the terrible nonsense that is being circulated in Japan about the
aggressive designs of the United States… There was a dispatch from Shanghai about an
American “functionary” calling around him a number of leading Chinese citizens to learn their
intentions should war break out between Japan and the United States.”43
Stone, I.F. A nonconformist History of Our Times: The War Years 1939-1945. Little,
Brown and Company. 1988. Pg. 120
43 The New York Times. “Propaganda in Japan” Published: November 27, 1921
42
23
The Japanese readers who viewed this believed that the United States was going to declare war.
The article goes on to say how successful the Japanese government and propagandists were in
making the common people become suspicious of Americans. It talks about an American with
great credentials that traveled through Hokkaido and Formosa on business. While on his trip the
local Japanese people became very suspicious of him for not reason at all. In the end he was
proclaimed a spy by one of the leading journals in Japan.44 As this New York Times article
suggests, and as will be seen in the following paragraphs, portraying themselves as pure was not
the only message the Japanese were trying to bring forth.
While Japan’s main goal was to portray them as pure and noble, they were not above
attacking the enemy. The main way this occurred was by portraying Westerners as subhuman,
just as America had done to the people of Japan. Instead of comparing the West to animals, they
were associated with demons and monsters. Figure 25 shows a picture of a demon like character
with horns, giant sharp teeth, and a bone through its nose. It is about to put on a mask of
President Roosevelt. This character also has a necklace of skulls. The image tells the viewers
that America’s leaders, such as Roosevelt, have done nothing but harm to all other nations.
America has only looked out for what is best for them. As the necklace suggests, any harm done
to lesser nations was not grieved, but instead paraded around as a warning to others not to
disobey. Figure 26 again shows Roosevelt as a monster. This time he has the hands and feet of
one and also has a single horn coming from the top of his head. In one hand he has a banner that
reads “Democracy,” and in the other he holds a club of “Dictatorship.” He is sitting on the top of
the Statue of Liberty. The people on the Statue of Liberty’s crown show the corruption of the
44
The New York Times. “Propaganda in Japan” Published: November 27, 1921
24
nation. These people include “the carousing “antiwar” sailor; the fettered figure of “military
action”; the strident worker waving a “strike” place card; and the clownish “Jew,” inflating a
balloon of profits disguised as the American flag.”45 The statue itself has a very sad look upon
her face. It seems as if she is disgraced by the way the United States has turned out. It shows
that there is great division between the nations leaders and its people. Unlike Japan, there is
corruption and confusion between the people. A powerful corruption free, pure nation such as
Japan should have no problem defeating a vulnerable weak nation like the United States.
After looking at the differences in propaganda between both the West and Japan, there is
much debate on which efforts actually worked better. In my personal opinion I believe that the
Western propaganda influenced the people in a greater way than Japan’s. I say because of the
feelings that almost every American had toward the Japanese nation. The Japanese people were
not fond of the West by any means, but they never degraded and stripped away their humanity to
such an extent that the Western people did. Through Japanese propaganda, Japan compared
Americans to monsters only because of their aggressive actions. That was not the case the other
way around. Even before the attack on Pearl Harbor, westerners despised the Japanese people
through and through. Western people thought more highly of vermin than of the Japanese
people. For this reason I believe Western propaganda had a greater influence. It successfully
made and entire nation hate another without most citizens even encountering each other
personally. This was sentiment was reinforced with the Japanese internment camps after the
attack. “Early in 1942 the United States, fearful of sabotage, ordered the removal from the West
Coast of anyone of Japanese ancestry… It was the beginning of one of the most flagrant
45
Dower, Page 194
25
violations of civil liberties in American history.”46 While it was not the only factor, propaganda
had a lot to do with this hatred.
Propaganda has been around since history has been recorded, and probably before that. It
has been used to sway people’s decision and completely change their views or beliefs. With the
increase in technology we can only expect to see an increase in propaganda in daily life. While
it was around before the 20th century, the World Wars were when there was a great increase in
production and use. Propaganda can be studied over in order to find out what the feelings of the
time were. This can be seen by looking at Western and Japanese propaganda during World War
II. It was very popular at this time for the West to compare Japan to different animals. The most
common one was a monkey. The propaganda images showed that westerners thought their
enemy to be extremely savage with no mind to think for themselves. Some western propaganda
also attempted to raise the countries morale and as for the purchase of war bonds. This was very
different from Japan. The main idea that was focused on Japanese propaganda was “the pure
self.” Japan thought that they were better and superior to not only the West, but also all other
Asian nations. Japanese propaganda focused on how they would spread their light and ideas
throughout the world and make it a better place. Their audience was also very different. While
the West only had to appeal to them selves, Japan had to appeal to all other Asian nations. Japan
was on a conquest through Asia, and after taking over the other nations they had to spread their
ideas and make the conquered people join the effort against the enemy. However, Japan did not
hold back from criticizing and attacking the West. To do this, Japan acted in two different ways.
First, they played on the past racial tensions that occurred in America. How could America be
such great honorable liberators when they are so segregated within their own nation? The
Stolley, Richard B. LIFE: World War 2. History’s Greatest Conflict in Pictures. Little, Brown
and Company. Pg. 158
46
26
second way they attacked the West was by comparing its leaders to monsters who would take
over and corrupting anything that got in their way. It my opinion I believe that American
propaganda ran deeper and affected more people than Japan’s because of the pure racism that it
spread to the citizens. Propaganda can be used to spread positive or negative ideas. One thing
remains certain; it will continue to grow in all forms and probably cannot be avoided.
27
Work Cited
Anthony Lane. The New Yorker. Sept. 12, 1942.
Bastide, Roger. Daedalus. “Color, Racism, and Christianity,” 1967.
Brash, Sarah. The American Story: World War II. Time-Life Books.
Brewer, Susan A. Why America Fights. Oxford University Press. 2009
Dower, John W. War Without Mercy.1986. New York. Pantheon Books.
E.V. Know. Punch Magazine. 1942. “The Monkey Folk”
Hoyt P. Edwin. Japan’s War: The Great Pacific Conflict. McGraw-Hill Book Company. 1989
Jowett, Garth S. Propaganda and Persuasion. December 2005.
Lynn, John Albert. Battle: A History of Combat and Culture. 2004
Navarro, Anthoney V. A Critical Comparison Between Japanese and American Propoganda
During World War II. https://www.msu.edu/~navarro6/srop.html. Michigan State
University
Rhodes, Anthony. Propaganda. Chelsea House Publishers. New York and London. 1976.
Ross, Stewart. World War II: Propaganda. New York. Times Learning. 1993
Sato, Hiroaki. “The Cat in the Hat Goes to War Like That.” The Japan Times. Feb. 8, 2000.
http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/fb20000208a1.html
Smythe, Hugh H. The Concept “Jim Crow”. Social Forces. Vol. 27, No. 1 (Oct. 1948- May 1949
Spiegelman, Art. Dr. Seuss Goes to War. The World War II Editorial Cartoons of Theodor
Seuss Geisel. The New Press, New York
Stolley, Richard B. LIFE: World War 2. History’s Greatest Conflict in Pictures. Little, Brown
and Company.
Stone, I.F. A nonconformist History of Our Times: The War Years 1939-1945. Little, Brown
and Company. 1988
Timasheff, N.S. The American Catholic Sociological Review , Vol. 4. No.1 (Mar., 1943).
Oxford University Press.
28
The New York Times. “Propaganda in Japan” Published: November 27, 1921
Uchikawa Yoshima, ed., Gendai Shiryo 41: Masu Media Tosei. 1975: Misauzu Shobo.
Unknown Author. New York Times. May 10th, 1942
Unknown Author. www.baldeagleinfo.com. Copy write 1999-2010
Unknown Author. “Propaganda- Revolution, Was, and Propaganda to1917.” Encyclopedia
of the New American Nation. 2003
Water, Marjorie Van de “Propaganda.” The Science News Letter. Vol. 34, No. 15 (Oct. 8,
1938) Society for Science and the Public
Zilboorg, Gregory. Annals of the American Academy of Political and Social Science. Vol. 198.
July 1938
29