World War 1 Propaganda Research Paper

To What Extent Was Propaganda Used By The US Leaders To Unite The Country Behind World War Two?

Propaganda was used to a significant extent by the US leaders to unite the country behind World War Two. World War Two is considered one of the most monumental events in history, and is undoubtedly one of the most significant events in the 20th century. Propaganda is defined as biased or misleading information that is used to promote a specific agenda, especially that of political nature. The government used a variety of different methods and techniques to influence the way people thought and what they believed the truth to be. Although the use of propaganda can be seen as unethical or immoral, it was arguably justifiable, and it indisputably played

As US Senator Hiram Johnson once stated, ‘The first casualty when war comes is truth’. Propaganda isn’t completely to blame for the negative outcomes of war, however, as what it does is simply reinforce existing attitudes and exploit human weakness. It was used for a number of reasons, including recruiting residents for the army. It was necessary to increase patriotism and unify the country around the war because, as World War One had only been over for 21 years, most people were certain entering another war was a bad idea. Although it was mainly used to convince Americans to join the military, propaganda also targeted other members of the public who weren’t able to fight for their country. It persuaded citizens to finance the war effort by donating money to the government to help pay for the expenses by means of war bonds, and urged them to conserve valuable resources by growing their own gardens and using less gasoline for their cars. Americans were influenced by propaganda about the importance of helping out on the home front, and were instructed to participate in any way they could, including women taking over jobs that were usually occupied by men. Propaganda was an important driving force behind most of the actions undertaken by both the American public and

Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister during World War 2, once stated that ‘In wartime, truth is so precious that she should always be attended by a bodyguard of lies.’ Each and every different type of propaganda technique has its purpose and they are usually created with honourable intentions. If the US leaders had decided against the mainstream use of propaganda, a lot of disastrous events would’ve ensued. Images of American soldiers being better and more equipped during the war than the opposition prevented the public from going into a frenzy and losing any sense of order or stability. Americans were able to continue living their lives without panicking, and being in their right minds so as to deal with the crisis at hand. Not only would US citizens believe they were being protected by strong, capable men that were willing to lay down their lives for them, but they would also be convinced that they were going to win the war and come out on top. This propaganda was juxtaposed with those that presented war as a horrible inevitability, omitting all alternatives, and those that depicted the enemy as monstrous creatures that forced America into war. This simultaneously established a sense of urgency on the home front, driving the public to do as much as they could to help, and created a feeling of blamelessness so people