WWI - Propaganda



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WWI and Propaganda

Introduction

In the fall of 1916, President Woodrow Wilson was reelected, due in large part to his promise to keep America out of the war that had been underway in Europe for two years. Isolationist and anti-war sentiment dominated the country’s discourse.

However, just a short time later, on April 6, 1917, the United States declared war on Germany, with enthusiastic support from all corners of American society.

How could public opinion have changed so quickly?

The Zimmerman Note being revealed to the public had a lot to do with it. Even more importantly was the massive domestic propaganda campaign executed by the Committee on Public Information.

So, what is propaganda?

Propaganda is any kind of one-sided, persuasive message designed to influence the opinions and behavior of people.

The C.P.I., overseen by George Creel, used several incredibly effective techniques, listed below. The goals of this highly organized and sophisticated campaign (which utilized many people who were working in the new advertising and public relations industries) were to inspire unity among Americans (a nation that was 1/3 immigrant at the time), crush opposition to the war, vilify the enemy, and inspire people to enlist in the military or contribute to the war effort at home in other ways.

The following websites will acquaint you more with the WWI American propaganda machine.

A. General background

Go to:

Read through “The Drift Toward War”, then focus on the second section of this webpage, “The Committee on Public Information.”

1. How did the C.P.I. censor the news?

2. What did each of these divisions of the CPI do, specifically?

Division of News:

Division of Syndicated Features:

Division of Civic and Educational Cooperation:

Division of Pictorial Publicity:

Division of Films:

3. Describe these two propaganda strategies, and how they were implemented:

Emotional appeal:

Demonization:

B. Propaganda methods

4. Go to:

What were “four minute men,” and how did they contribute to the propaganda effort?

5. Go to:

What were some titles of famous films from the WWI era? How were the Germans depicted in the movies created by the CPI?

6. Go to the following online WWI propaganda poster collections:







(scroll to the bottom)

Cut and paste a poster that:

a. Asks for Americans to enlist in the military

b. Vilifies the enemy (makes them look really, really evil)

c. Asks Americans to sacrifice or change their daily behavior for the war effort

d. Buy Liberty Bonds; donate money for the war effort

A few more points about propaganda:

You should always be aware of the various propaganda techniques being used constantly to influence the way you act, what you buy, what you care about, and what you believe. Here is a short list of specific propaganda techniques that have been used ever since WWI. Many of them are still being used today!

1. Name-calling: Words are used against a person or an idea. Negative terms like “Communist radicals,” “corrupt government officials,” “man-hating feminist radicals,” “Democrats favoring tax increases,” or “war-mongering Republicans” are used.

2. Glittering generalities: In order to make you think positively about a person or an idea, this technique uses glowing, positive terms without any real evidence to support the idea. “Reelect Senator Schumer, because he is a friend of the working man.”

3. Plain folks appeal: This technique is used to create a common image- that the candidate is just like you or me. “He’s one of us.”

4. Bandwagon appeal: “Everyone is doing it.” This is a popular technique used to appeal to the average person’s desire to conform.

5. Card-stacking: In this technique, only the facts that will make the public react in the desired way are included. Anything that is contradictory is ignored or suppressed. In a totalitarian state, the government will only print the “official” version of events- the version that the government wants the people to know about.

6. Endorsement and testimonials: “Michael Jordan wears Nikes.” A well-known person is used to support a claim.

7. Personal appeal: An idea or a product is sold to you not based on its merits, but on the way that the product or idea may affect your self-image or play upon your fears. “Support the war to make the world safe for democracy.”

8. Loaded words: Descriptive or emotionally-charged words are sometimes carefully selected in order to influence your opinions and actions. Antiwar demonstrators could be labeled “agitators” or “peaceful demonstrators,” depending on the person telling the story.

9. Misleading numbers: Statistics and numbers are often manipulated to give a particular image or opinion. “Two out of three doctors recommend…”

10. Stereotyping: This technique is used to generically describe people or groups of people in relation to an already identified type or image. “She’s a typical teenager.” “All people in this city are racist.” “Democrats are big spenders.”

11. Assertion: Statements are given without supporting evidence. “I assure you that what the President did was legal.”

The use of propaganda began during World War I and grew in the 1920s, when it became a huge industry. Many people believed that the “public mind” could be regimented and controlled through the use of propaganda. The word “propaganda” fell out of use after it became associated with Hitler and Mussolini during WWII. Today, you might refer to it as “public relations” or “advertising.” However, it still exists and thrives today in many forms. Be aware of the persuasive messages that you absorb every day! You are constantly being exposed to one-sided information designed to alter the way you act, feel and think.

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