1. WWI and Propaganda An Introduction

2. 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  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

3. 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  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

4. 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.  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.

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

6. 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)

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

8.  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).

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

10.  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 can’t lose.

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

12.  Propaganda appeals on different levels. You don’t want to be seen as UN- patriotic, so you better sign that pledge!

13. 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?”

15. Political Ideology  Russia’s Communist Revolution pitted the working class against the wealthy minority. “Workers of the World, Unite!” encourages this poster. Read Marx if you are curious.