Download Propaganda and Its Use in World War II

Propaganda and Its Use in World War II
In World War II both the Axis and Allied powers used propaganda to increase support
for their side of the war. Propaganda is defined as "A concerted set of messages aimed
at influencing the opinions or behavior of large numbers of people." In the United
States characters like Uncle Sam or Rosie the Riveter were put on posters nationwide.
These were strong images that encouraged Americans to do their part to support the
war effort. Uncle Sam "Wants you" to join the U.S. Army, while Rosie the Riveter
encouraged women that "We can do it!" while our men were away fighting in the war.
The British had their own national personification named John Bull. In Nazi Germany Adolf Hitler created the
Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda to control the press and culture of his country. While propaganda was used to send many
different messages during WWII, the goal was always the same: to influence the opinions of the masses.
Why use propaganda?
During World War II, President Roosevelt saw propaganda as one of the keys to an Allied victory. In 1942, he created the OWI (Office of War
Information) who worked to disseminate information here in America and abroad to other countries. The OWI worked hard to ensure that all of
America was on the same page about who we were fighting, why we were fighting them, and what our responsibilities should be. They had access
to not only print media (like the Uncle Sam posters) but also influence in Hollywood, radio and even Walt Disney's office. Comic books incorporated
battles against the Nazis in their wartime issues. However, today in America, propaganda is no longer widely used to influence public opinion of
the wars we participate in.
How did propaganda affect soldiers?
Soldiers were affected differently by propaganda depending on who they fought for and where they were. Nearly all propaganda aimed at soldiers
centered around making them doubt their cause and their reason for being wherever they were fighting. This could mean dropping pamphlets
vividly describing how their wives and girlfriends back home were cheating on them while they were gone. Pamphlets also asked enemy soldiers
what they were fighting for, sometimes giving them false, conspiracy-style reasons their country was fighting. Radio broadcasts sent to enemy
troops would warm them of future fighting, and make them fear for their lives. Sometimes these tactics worked, and sometimes they did not.
Japan's propaganda efforts against US troops largely failed because captured American POWs would slip secret messages to the troops, and
Japanese news propaganda was often so unbelievably fake that American troops knew they were lying. Countries also created propaganda directed
at their own troops in order to keep morale high. The United Service Organizations (USO) was formed in 1941 and provided support and
entertainment for troops. Even today USO tours take place on American military bases across the globe, still working towards the original goal of
supporting the troops and keeping morale high.
How did propaganda affect civilians?
Propaganda influenced civilians by getting them to support the war effort. For some that meant enlisting in the military. For others it meant
planting gardens at home, collecting scrap metal, working in the factories, and/or adhering to rationing. Several different methods were used to
encourage civilian support. In the United States President Roosevelt assured Americans that with God's help America would win the war. Posters
encouraged people to support the war by making them feel that every bit they did was important, that America couldn't win without them, and by
emphasizing their patriotic duty. If Americans could not physically support the war effort, they could buy war bonds. The comic book character
Captain America was created, a scrawny but patriotic young man who, through a series of injections, becomes a brawny super-soldier. This
character resonated with millions who wanted to fight but were unable to due to age (too young) or physical (unfit) reasons. Rosie the Riveter
encouraged millions of women to enter the factories and take jobs vacated by men leaving for war. In Britain similar posters were created praising
both soldiers and civilians working for the war effort. Prime Minister Winston Churchill also used his oratory skills to move listeners emotionally
towards intense feelings of patriotism and nationalism. In Germany, Adolf Hitler, who may have been the most talented speaker of his time,
routinely gave public speeches to enormous groups of people who hung on his every word. His talents were so overwhelming that he became a sex
symbol in Germany. Hitler created a propaganda ministry in order to control German culture. He told Germans how they should think and what
they should do, and his version of why they should be thinking and doing those things. His propaganda skills are most evident when you realize
that he was beloved by an entire country even as he simultaneously and systematically exterminated 9 million people in concentration camps. Some
propaganda worked to reach citizens of opposing countries. Allied radio broadcasts tried to reach Axis citizens and tell them the truth about the
war, hoping that these broadcasts would undermine support in those countries.
Propaganda in all its forms was used to manipulate the feelings of the people. Citizens were motivated to support the war effort through guilt,
praise, anger, and/or excitement, among other feelings. Nationalism and patriotism were oft-used themes. Leaders worked to garner as much
support from the people as possible, and were more often than not successful in doing so.