Disney’s Propaganda in WWII
Goldberg, Ethan
Mr. Susman
1 May 2023
Disney is a company we all know today and their influence reaches far and wide and they have used this influence many times throughout their history. An infamous example of this is during World War II. The US government was in need of ways to reach the people to get support for war efforts. This is when Disney stepped in and provided that method of communication between the people and the military. Using propaganda cartoons and films, Disney contributed heavily towards war efforts.
During the second world war, the US military was trying to get people to donate money through war bonds. These war bonds would pay for weapons, ammunition, and more. Another method of support that the US government was asking of people was that they should conserve how much they eat and cut out gluten so it could all be given to soldiers. The US figured that the best way to reach people’s homes with these requests was through their
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They would repurpose old classics and dress the villains in Nazi apparel and give the protagonists smooth segues into showcasing war bonds. This specific example is taken from the cartoon titled Thrifty Pig in which the big bad wolf, wearing a Nazi armband, wants to attack the pigs but can’t because one of the houses is made out of war bonds. They could also create entirely new cartoons using recognizable and lovable characters like in The Spirit of ‘43 when Donald Duck is told to “Save his money for taxes rather than spend on the Axis.” American families connected immediately after seeing their favorite mouse donate his money and food to the war. Many families wanted to do the same but some believed that the children’s cartoon company should not be advertising these things. Despite these few critics, families were lining up to support the war because of the films Disney was