PROPAGANDA: NECESSARY IN WAR? An analysis of WWI propaganda posters

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PROPAGANDA NECESSARY IN WAR?An analysis of
WWI propaganda posters
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• If you were Prime Minister Robert Borden,
  responsible for Canadas war effort from 1914 -
  1918, how far would you go to ensure that the
  Allies France, Russia, Britain and its empire
  won the war?

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• PROPAGANDA
• Persuading people to believe in a certain idea or
  set of ideas
• is used to influence people's opinions, rather
  than to just communicate the facts
• Posters were the main form of propaganda used
  during WWI
• Example today, modern advertising companies
  mount campaigns to convince consumers to buy
  products such as toothpaste

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Propaganda the Government

• During WWI, the government propaganda aimed to
  convince its citizens
• That the allies were winning the war
• That recruits were needed at the front
• To give money to the war effort
• To conserve food, fuel and metal needed overseas
• That the Germans were inhuman monsters
• To work harder
• That the cause was good

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Purpose of Propaganda

• To encourage people to enlist
• To encourage people to conserve on the homefront
• To encourage people to contribute to the war
  effort in any way they could
• To promote hatred of the enemy

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1) To Encourage Men to Enlist

• To encourage men to enlist
• To encourage women and children to persuade their
  family members to enlist
• This became very important in 1917 because the
  number of soldiers enlisting was declining

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2) To Encourage People to Conserve on the Home
Front

• The government wanted people to conserve
  materials and food that could be used on the
  Western Front

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3) To encourage people to contribute to the war
effort in any way they could

• By buying Victory Bonds (a loan to the
  government that the buyer receives interest on)
• The government used the money for soldiers pay
  and for war expenses

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4) To Promote Hatred of Germans

• Enemy shown as threat to everyones safety/way of
  life
• This helps Canadians see it as their war (not
  just Britains war)
• Germans often drawn to look evil or like monsters

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Techniques

• Appeal to emotions (fear, guilt)
• Encouraging a group effort to win the war
• Persuade that war will be lost if you dont do
  your part
• Persuade that enemy is threatening Canadas
  security

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The System

• the government released press statements to
  newspapers
• Celebrity tours and speaking engagements
• and finally .
• Posters and promotional literature!!
• Appeal to a mass audience
• Attract the eye from a distance
• Catch slogan or message
• Inspire righteous indignation in the viewer (an
  emotional reaction)
• Lies, or at least exaggeration

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Understanding Propaganda Techniques

• Bandwagon persuades people to do something by
  letting them know others are doing it.
• Testimonial uses the words of a famous person to
  persuade you.
• Transfer uses names or pictures of famous
  people, but not direct quotations.
• Repetition item is repeated at least four times.
• Emotional words words that will make you feel
  strongly about the subject

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http//www.firstworldwar.com/posters/canada.htm
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For three posters answer the following

1. For what audience were they made?
2. What feelings are they designed to arouse?
3. Which of the four characteristics of posters do
   they satisfy?
4. Which techniques do they use?
5. Are they successful propaganda?