Josh Saskin
Accelerated US History
February 13, 2017
The Effect of American Propaganda in World War II
Following the United States’ entry into World War II and with national governments battling for the hearts and minds of the people, propaganda became an industry of war just as “important as producing bullets and planes.” In the words of Archibald MacLeish, assistant director of the Office of War Information and librarian of Congress, “The principal battleground of the war is not the South Pacific. It is not the Middle East. It is not England, or Norway, or the Russian Steppes. It is American opinion.” Thus, propaganda was the most effective resource in securing the American victory in World War II, as it caused an increase in
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Army,” also known as “the most famous poster in the world. The timing of the posters release strengthened the chance of military enrollment because of the implanted widespread hatred of the Axis Powers. Originally created for use in World War I, its popularity and effectiveness led to reprinting for World War II. However, this poster, along with several others, was more effective in World War II: in 1940, there were 458,365 military personnel in the United States, but in 1941, following the bombing of Pearl Harbor, that number increased by approximately 293 percent with 1,801,101 personnel. Whereas there were only 4,355,000 American troops by the end of World War I in 1918, there were at least 12,209,238 servicemen by the end of World War II in 1945. Although there were no more casualties on United States soil after Pearl Harbor, the armed forces still exponentially increased afterward, as shown by the statistics above.
Aside from the general nationalism in the form of increased military and activism exhibited by the American people, the propaganda effort also increased the chance of war success through the sense of individualism and importance instilled in those who weren’t on the battlefield. Many resources were “important to conserve during the war effort,” and posters geared toward conservation composed one out of every seven propaganda posters made between 1941 and 1945
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The U.S. government would release information but did not interfere with people’s opinions. Businesses and Media kept insisting the U.S. government to make the campaigns happen, but the government viewed as giving information rather than propaganda. There were two agencies that were created to publish the writing and distribution of propaganda. These agencies put out propaganda through posters, Hollywood studios, and radio. Posters were widely used for propaganda during World War II. Posters persuaded people to get involved because they “mostly had a positive message, which differed from other countries and they were designed by artists who were not compensated for their work”. In other words, people wrote messages that would persuade people to enlist in the war, it was not the same as other countries and the people were not paid for doing this. For examples, one of the posters in the article says, “We can do it” this was to shows people can do anything they desire. Comic books were also used as a propaganda. “Many comics had common themes among them associated with the war effort whether that be the characters fighting Axis Powers or purchasing war bonds, production, etc”. In other words, people drew pictures to represent war effort. In the article, “American Propaganda in World War II”, it shows a cover of a war bond defeating world leaders. Once
During World War II, propaganda was used for a number of reasons, it not only showed how anyond could be of use to the war efforts, but it also showed that every person could contribute as well. These posters empowered everyone to stand behind their nation's Army, and to continue contributing to the war efforts. The posters showed that everyone is needed, that anyone could make a difference, and some even emphasized certain values to those who are already helping with the war effort.
Ever since its birth as a country in 1776, the United States of America has been a country surrounded by a certain aura that is not shared by other countries throughout the world. The country is one that was born out of a struggle and revolution, which has helped shape the character of its citizens and its national identity. Throughout the various wars the country has fought, such as the war of 1812, both World Wars, and the Vietnam War, propaganda has played an important role in influencing the people of America. The government of the United States has effectively used propaganda over the centuries to generate funds for war or relief efforts, save resources for war efforts, to get out and work or to possibly sway the minds of its citizens towards particular political ideals. Propaganda throughout the history of the United States, and throughout the world, have had various themes such as slandering an enemy as seen in anti-German, Italian, and Japanese propaganda in World War 2, or the opposite when trying to gain support for an ally. The main purpose of propaganda throughout history has been to persuade people to buy into or follow a set of ideals set out by whoever created the propaganda. Propaganda has played a large part in shaping the understanding of the United States by causing its citizens to buy into the beliefs of the government, which is a large reason why the country was able to become the great nation that it is today.
Propaganda made a great impact on World War II society. Propaganda was used intently during World War II and was particularly important because it allowed the government to control citizen’s thoughts and beliefs about the war. Propaganda is defined as information or ideas that promote a point of view, group, belief, etc. Usually, it is either misleading or biased in order to portray a desired viewpoint for people to believe. In the war, the government utilized propaganda to make citizens believe that the war was worth fighting for, even though that wasn’t the case. They did so by creating propaganda that advocated for unification, domination of the enemy, and war employment opportunities, to name a few. Maus by Art Spiegelman is a graphic novel
The reason why this propaganda was so successful throughout the war was simple; there were more then one type of propaganda. Some of which were through wars
The poster convinced Americans to help support and prepare not only the America for the war but also provided materials to the Allies. Together as a whole nation America united to help the Allies be more prepared than Germany while at war.
American propaganda during WWI was used to spread ideas and information for the purpose of helping the American cause, specifically through, songs, posters, pamphlets and leaflets. America joined the Allies forces in 1917 in Europe to fight against the Central Powers. The American government needed something to spark the peoples' interest in the war. The most effective tool the government found and used was propaganda. The American government used propaganda to reach out to the people. The government wanted to reach people of all ages. Similarly, Germany fought back with her own propaganda, by purposely dropping leaflets and pamphlets on the ground to try and convince American soldiers, especially blacks, to join their side. In my opinion
In midst of this decades long war , the war effort propaganda was outlandish. It ranged from lures of free designer spinners when you join military to hate propaganda for the other
“Lots of things wrong with America, but Hitler ain’t going to fix them,” American GI and heavyweight Joe Louis once said in a 1942 interview about his choice to enlist in the army (Berkow). He was right. In the 1940s, America was in a slump; but, it was also the turning point for the start of a more prosperous era. In 1941, the Japanese had attacked Pearl Harbor, “a date which will live in infamy,” and catalyzed a series of events that led to the initiation of America’s entrance into World War II- a war that healed and revolutionized the nation ("World War”). America’s greatest success in the 20th century was its entrance and participation in World War II because
It must be emphasized that the ultimate object of propaganda in war is the destruction of enemy morale, and its corollary, the strengthening of friendly morale. “It consists of the dissemination of ideas, designed to react in different ways upon their various recipients. The enemy must be made to feel that his cause is hopeless from the start, has no chance of ultimate success, and is based upon delusive ideals.” It is usually impossible to convince the responsible organizations of the hostile nation, such as the government or the army, though it may be advantageous to hinder them in their decisions. But it is comparatively easy to influence the rank and file, civilian as well as military, and to produce an atmosphere of hopelessness fatal to success.
World War II was a time of great urgency and sacrifice that called upon unity for not just soldiers, but also everyday citizens. America needed a way to get this message across quickly and effectively and so they did it in the forms of posters and speeches. The World War II propaganda that was created to unite and encourage patriotism across the United States played a pivotal and vital role in the United Nation’s victory.
No one anticipated the international chaos that would emerge during the twentieth century, especially the devastation caused by World War I, World War II, and the Cold War. World War II was the most destructive war in human history and changed the history of the world forever, engaging the world’s most influential superpowers in the largest international event of the era. World War II was fought not only by the armed forces, but also by the home fronts of every belligerent nation, exhausting the economy, the industry, and the morale of those living at home, escalating the conflict into a total war that was larger and fought more expansively than any other conflict in history. The use of American propaganda in the World War II war effort
In the United States during World War II, propaganda was everywhere. There were posters with Uncle Sam on them telling young men to enlist in the military and go fight. There were posters with American soldiers and American flags, with the words ‘Buy War Bonds’ at the bottom. The Japanese Navy devastated Pearl Harbor, and in its wake it left the American people with a passion for vengeance. The Empire of Japan was violating widely accepted human rights in eastern Asia, and its government had been seen by the oppressed as a monster that needed to be stopped. The world was divided between two sides, the majority of the nations of the world supporting the Allied Powers. If propaganda had not been used to rally support for the war, it is possible that the war effort would not have been as powerful. Perhaps it could have been weak enough for the Axis Powers to continue building up strength all over the world. However, this does not justify propaganda as something that is absolutely ‘good’.
As already mentioned, the United States readily took part in the propaganda parley of World War II. The threat of subversive Nazi propaganda on U.S. soil caused private citizens to use their contacts to pressure the government into counteracting the “attack on democracy” (Laurie 30-32). This spurred the creation of government organizations such as the U.S. Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI) and the U.S. Office of Strategic Services (OSS). The role of these organizations was to oversee the propaganda released on behalf of the government (Laurie 45). The military naturally became involved in the creation and implementation of propaganda films to promote anti-Nazi feelings across a nation immersed in a global war. Also, the hope was that these films would act as a morale booster necessary in a nation that had just experienced the horrors of Pearl Harbor (Fyne 12).
The fact that wars give rise to intensive propaganda campaigns has made many people suppose that propaganda is something new. The truth is, it is not. The battle with persuasion for power and men’s minds is as old as human history (Casey, 1994d)