Download World War II Posters Propaganda

World War II Posters
Propaganda is material given out in order to spread
an opinion about something. The following may be used:
Bias is when an author gives his or her personal
opinion through something that is shared (writings,
posters, etc.)
Semantic Slanting is when an author uses
loaded words to make the audience think a certain way.
Emotional Factors
the way an author may think.
are factors that influence
Why think about Propaganda?
It may seem strange to suggest that the study of propaganda has relevance to
contemporary politics. After all, when most people think about propaganda, they
think of the enormous campaigns that were waged by Hitler and Stalin in the
1930s. Since nothing comparable is being disseminated in our society today,
many believe that propaganda is no longer an issue.
But propaganda can be as blatant as a swastika or as subtle as a joke. Its
persuasive techniques are regularly applied by politicians, advertisers, journalists,
radio personalities, and others who are interested in influencing human behavior.
Propagandistic messages can be used to accomplish positive social ends, as in
campaigns to reduce drunk driving, but they are also used to win elections and to
sell malt liquor.
These appeals persuade through the manipulation of symbols and of our most
basic human emotions. For better or worse, ours is an age of propaganda.
With the growth of the Internet, the flow of persuasive messages has been
dramatically accelerated. For the first time ever, citizens around the world are
participating in uncensored conversations about their collective future. This is a
wonderful development, but there is a cost
The information revolution has led to information overload, and people are
confronted with hundreds of messages each day. Although few studies have looked
at this topic, it seems fair to suggest that many people respond to this pressure by
processing messages more quickly and, when possible, by taking mental short-cuts.
Propagandists love short-cuts -- particularly those which short-circuit rational
thought. They encourage this by agitating emotions, by exploiting insecurities, by
capitalizing on the ambiguity of language, and by bending the rules of logic. As
history shows, they can be quite successful.
Propaganda analysis exposes the tricks that propagandists use and suggests ways of
resisting the short-cuts that they promote by giving strategies of mental self-defense.
War Propaganda
The Nazis prepared for war from the moment Hitler came into
power in 1933. In the feverish building up of German striking power,
they had the support of the professional military men. The Nazis
not only produced the weapons of war; they geared their economy
for the strain of a future conflict. They carried on political intrigues
to promote their purposes. Their propaganda machine had long
been a going concern when Hitler felt ready to strike at Poland, the
first step in an ambitious plan to lay the world at his feet.
To understand how this four-dimensional warfare has come
about, we have to look at history.
Look at each poster from World
War II. Be ready to discuss the
propaganda used in each.
bias
semantic slanting
emotional factors
semantic slanting
emotional factors
bias
Propaganda may try to show the
moral superiority of the cause against
which the enemy is fighting.
It is part of a nation’s strategic
plan to intimidate enemy leaders, to
separate them from their people, and
to break down resistance by
producing evidence that the mass of
the enemy people have been
deceived and misled.
Propaganda, too, is an instrument for
maintaining unity and good will among
allies banded together in a common effort.
It is sometimes effective in bringing
opinion in neutral states over to one side
or another. And in the battle zones it serves
to keep up the morale of the men who are
doing the actual fighting job.
Promotion of a Worth-While Cause Is Good Propaganda.
Propaganda makes use of popular appeals to
make the necessary sacrifices and to contribute
muscle, mind, and money to the successful
prosecution of the war.
In a democratic nation, a free flow of
information serves to stimulate the war effort,
strengthens the nation to stand reverses, to hold
steadfast through a long conflict, to take losses
courageously, to make sacrifices bravely, to buy
bonds generously, and to cooperate in every way
possible in the great national effort for victory.