Did the WWI or WWII mark the Pinnacle of the Importance of Wartime Propaganda before 1945 - Coursework Example

Propaganda and war Propaganda and war Introduction Propaganda is a way of communication that aims at influencing and manipulating the attitudes of the society towards some position or cause. It is usually repeated and dispensed over a wide variety of media so as to establish the desired impact in audience attitudes. Propaganda during wartime attempts to prepare people to adjust to abnormal conditions and adapt their objectives and norms or morals to accommodate the demands of the war. In order to achieve this, propagandists use conventional visual codes such as postcards established in mass culture. Propaganda and war is aimed at influencing people’s attitudes and perception towards the war rather than being involved in open dialogue (Randal, 2002). It involves pro-war propaganda by warring groups and governments, and anti-war propaganda by sympathizers from enemy side or pacifists. The concept that qualifies it as propaganda is the ways in which media manipulation goes beyond lies to misguidance, fallacious demagoguery, stage events and loaded vocabulary all of which can be substantiated by significant cause either idealistic or patriotic. War propaganda is only successful with the compliance of the nation’s journalism and its desire to curtail its role as watchdog of the Nation and passing essential information to the public. War propaganda is used to demoralize and confuse enemies and influence opinions of the public in friendly nations. In most cases, nations at war apply propaganda to influence and manipulate its citizens. In addition, propaganda in war is used in deceiving your friends with lying to the enemies. On the other hand, between States, it involves lying about potential acquisition and development of new and powerful weapons, which can be used to convince other nations that something which is feasible, is in fact not in order to pour disinforming party a head start in looking for the technology/weapons (Andrew, 2011). The use of propaganda in war is applicable with the compliance of mass media and popular culture that allows it to proclaim a new mobilization of society and military against an imagined or real enemy without altering the status quo of the society. Propagandists have to disseminate information to their opponents that they are still in control even if a new enemy of the people has emerged. Propaganda at wartime is carried out in combination with a comprehensive attempt to censor or stifle dissenting opinion. For instance, during the Second World War, U.S citizens were given pro-war messages via newsreels, photographs and posters. Propaganda during World War 1 Nations that participated in the first world war from 1914 to 1918 applied propaganda postcards and posters as a means of justifying their involvement in the war, procuring and recruiting men, money and resources so as to sustain the military campaign. Propaganda was used in the First World War just as in any other war. Propaganda ensured that the public only got access to information that their government wanted them to know. During this time, the extent to which governments would go in an attempt to blacken the enemies name reached a new pick (Randal, 2002). In a bit to ensure that every citizen thought in the manner the government wanted, all forms of information were controlled. For instance, newspapers were directed to print and write what the government wanted them to write. In fact, though seemed to be as a form of censorship, the newspapers of Britain was effectively controlled by the media barons and were happy to do so. They printed headlines such as ‘Germans crucify Canadian officer ‘that were aimed at stirring up the emotions of people regardless of whether they were correct or not. War propaganda was designed to create and strengthen the current animosity and hatred that was already prevailing in Britain. The same thing was happening in Germany and other countries that were involved in the war. The First World War relied explicitly on propaganda to mobilize local citizens to support their respective armies. For example, British propaganda during First World War set a new benchmark that motivated the socialist and fascist regimes during 1930s and 1940s and eventually gave birth to the public relations firms in US after 1919. It was apparent that large number of civilians could be manipulated and mobilized for a massive war effort via persuasive methods derived from the emerging disciplines of social sciences and behavioral psychology (Martin, 2004). World war one techniques developed by one-part regimes of Fascists, Third Reich, Soviet Union and Italy were projects of social science development became part of daily life and were eventually borrowed by propagandists from democratic nations such as Britain and US. Messages presented to the public via television and other form of mass media repositioned citizens as people who had the duties and responsibilities to the State. Furthermore, European nations such as Britain used different techniques to influence its people to rally against Germany who they considered as a threat to their national security at the time. During world war one when US entered the war in 1917, lack of public unity was a major concern. For instance, in Washington, unwavering public endorsement was considered to be vital to the entire wartime efforts. The formation of committee on public information aimed to promote and enhance the war domestically while at the same time publicizing American war priorities abroad. The techniques used by American journalists were sophisticated and complex to understanding of human psychology, and its efforts signify the first time that a contemporary or modern government dispensed propaganda on such a high level or scale. It is interesting and fascinating that this phenomenon often linked to authoritarian and totalitarian regimes emerged even in democratic States (Andrew, 2011). This showed how propaganda played a vital role in war and how it has evolved over time. It is rational to argue that propaganda during world war one helped various governments in winning over the general public and gaining support while maintaining high morale of the people. The governments of the warring nations had to achieve different goals and objectives; its most important was using propaganda to motivate and encourage the public to become engaged and serve their country. In addition, the posters carried information that focused to influence people’s attitudes towards war and believe that the people’s reaction would assist the war efforts. This in turn helped the government to control what people thought whilst establishing false impressions of the war being fought. For example, in 1916, the British propagandist attained a new tool such as the use of films like; “Britain prepared”, the “Battle of the Somme” and the “Battle of Arras”, use of personal propaganda, cable information and telegraphs as louder, harder and direct ways of passing the intended message (Randal, 2002). During this period, the use of telegraphs was the most effective and fastest mode of communication that the propaganda relied mostly on. By carefully feeding countries around the world with information, they ensured that their stories first received audience around the globe thereby earning a competitive edge in influencing people’s opinions by the fact that the first side of the story seemed to be true. Propaganda during world war two The use of propaganda during the Second World War was escalated to the highest level in history. As the Axis and Allies powers prepared for war, it was significant for both parties to encourage and motivate their population and increase production. At this time, America had just come out of depression and stuck to its isolationist policy. Most America citizens who witnessed the costly and expensive world war one thought it was not a good idea for America to be involved in another war (Martin, 2004). Majority of them thought that the war being fought in Europe and Asia was far removed from the Americas. They instead proposed that America’s resources be used in rebuilding the damaged economy after the depression and not fighting in the war. The American government began propaganda to convince the American people of the possible threats that were presented by the Axis powers. In Germany, it was vital for the Nazis to adapt their propaganda campaigns in order to attain their objectives. There existed tension between the Nazi government and the socialist. Propaganda was significant in unifying the German public and preparing them for real war. It was necessary to convince the German people of the need of war by inciting and inflaming anger over restrictions imposed on German as well as the increase in nationalism. More so, German aimed to persuade its citizens to increase production and participate in war efforts just like America. For example, propagandists of the Nazi regime painted a picture of Hitler and the German people as responding to initiatives, injustices, and provocation of others. This propaganda created a sense innocence and indignation among Germans which turned power relations between them and the Jews upside down, with the former taking the place of the innocent while the latter was viewed as the powerful one. Propaganda helped nations during world war two to accelerate development of the real battle (Randal, 2002). It also played a significant role in individual countries in increasing production and public participation in the war. The issue of propaganda in attaining public support during wartime is as old as history of mankind. The use of propaganda in first and Second World War marked the pinnacle of the importance of propaganda before 1945 in that motivated the citizens to fully support the government’s decision to participate in the war. Propaganda was useful in gaining the support of the public and neutral nations to join armies in fighting their respective enemies. The Second World War relied on propaganda and information from the events that ensued in First World War as well as on new propaganda that resulted from exaggeration of the earlier events and infatuations. The Nazi regime under the leadership of Adolf Hitler is an example of how individual and party ambitions can be twisted into genuinely agreed theories by the masses. Hitler and his regime successfully created a victim mentality among the Germans and the need for creation of a superior race that would dominate the entire world. Strategies and methods of propaganda had far reaching effects on the public by arousing their emotions as patriots who were determined to support their Nations. The government aimed to portray the war as something to exploration or adventure. This move concealed the truth and secrets behind real war being fought; it was government’s role to use propaganda to disseminate the attitude that joining the army was something heroic and worthwhile (Martin, 2004). In addition, propaganda encouraged censorship which was used to ensure the information dispensed did not undermine the efforts of the war. For instance, publication of photos and pictures of dead British soldiers would mean defeat; therefore, it was the role of the government to limit the publication of such information. Access to such information by the public would withdraw their morale and create a feeling of defeat. Propaganda played a big role in both first and second war in that it tried to keep the faith and morale of the nation during the course of the war. Conclusion Summarily, the extensive use of propaganda in the First World War is the most visible base of its wartime exploitation at the time. The Second World War on the other hand relied was majorly characterized by propaganda which greatly influenced the course of the war. All the nations involved in the Second World War relied heavily in the creation of victim mentality in their citizens and allies both in the buildup of the war and its implementation and sustenance. It is hard to unravel exactly what happened in the battle field unless you were a soldier who was on the ground. Therefore, the Second World War marks the pinnacle of the importance of propaganda in wartime periods before 1945. Reference Andrew, R. (2011). The Storm of War: A New History of the Second World War. New York: HarperCollins. Martin, G. (2004). The Second World War: A Complete History. New York: Henry Holt. Randal, M. (2002). Propaganda and the ethics of persuasion. Peterborough: Broadview Press. Read More