Image Post: Propaganda during the World Wars
The Global Studies curriculum at my school is quite unique in that we incorporate both World War I and World War II our course. Students receive a more "in depth" study of the World Wars during their junior year, however we expose them to different themes of the wars to lay a solid foundation for these two monumental events of the 20th century. One of the themes we explore is the use of propaganda to bolster public support of both wars. See below for some of my favorite propaganda posters from both World War I and World War II to go over with students.
"Uncle Sam" called patriotic Americans to arms for the first time during World War I. Feelings of fervent nationalism (pride in one's country) caused thousands of young men across the United States to join the American Expeditionary Force (AEF) after the Lusitania disaster and the aggressive Zimmerman Telegram.
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons
The "Uncle Sam" poster was modeled after a British poster in which Lord Kitchener, who served as Secretary of State for War during World War I, encouraged Britons to enlist and fight the "Central Powers".
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons
This British poster played on the guilt of men who did not volunteer to go fight in the trenches.
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons
The "Mad Brute" poster is a brilliant example of propaganda. The gorilla, a primitive creature, is wearing a German helmet bearing the label "Militarism" and carrying a club labelled "Kultur" (culture). The poster implies that the barbaric Germans will come for American women once they reach American shores.
As a man, what are you going to do to protect your wife, mother, daughter, sister, cousin, etc.?
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons
"Rosie the Riveter" was a symbol for the thousands of women who replaced men in factories and shipyards during World War II. She became a symbol of feminism, women's economic power, and women's rights.
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons
Many Americans didn't need a poster to hate the Japanese after their surprise attack at Pearl Harbor. Still, propaganda posters were particularly effective at demonizing the Japanese Empire and the Hitler's Nazi party. This poster is encouraging the American public to donate any usable scrap/waste to the war effort.
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons
This poster urges American drivers to carpool whenever possible.
Public Domain Image via Wikimedia Commons
There are many other propaganda poster examples you may find relevant to your specific curriculum on Wikimedia Commons, flickr, and Pixabay.
Such an interesting post!! I ADORE history... if someone or some entity would pay me to be a life long history student I would be so happy!
ReplyDeleteMy content standards focus on European Exploration - Westward Expansion, so sadly I do not get a chance to cover anything beyond about 1850. I will say that I try and have the same discussions with my students based on the ideas presented in "Common Sense" and the ideas of Manifest Destiny. I try in 5th grade to discuss the same ideas of how propaganda effected the population on national issues.
Thank you Rebecca, of course I think it is interesting but I am glad to hear someone else appreciates it too! I used to teach 8th grade U.S. History which in our curriculum covered the Declaration of Independence up until Reconstruction. Manifest Destiny was one of my favorite topics as students could see how our country was pieced together. The link below is the famous "American Progress" painting by John Gast, I never did an assignment like this but maybe the students could create their own propaganda poster to urge Americans to settle the "west"?
Deletehttps://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:American_progress.JPG
Thanks for the comment!
This is like "guilt trip" propaganda! Direct and to the point with a clear message, do what it is suggested or you will be the minority. I thought that the British poster of the dad having his kids ask what his role was during the war was extremely powerful and the last one about car-sharing... I had never seen that one! Again, it makes you feel bad if you don't start doing something about it. Propaganda is so powerful still today and so many times it is taken from previous successful propagandas in our history.
ReplyDeleteNothing like using children to make one feel guilty about doing/not doing something! It's funny, the way I (verbally) explain propaganda to my students is simply by saying; "Propaganda is anything that gets you to think, feel, or act a certain way". It really is just that simple. I use infomercials as another example..."Before I sat down on my couch and turned on the TV I had no idea I needed that Copper Chef! How did I survive this long without it?"
DeleteOur students (and us!) are bombarded with propaganda on a daily basis, sometimes they just don't pick up on it!
I never knew there were so many propaganda posters! I have seen Rosie the Riveter and the Uncle Sam posters, but that is it. These posters have very powerful messages and I can see why they were effective. Some of them made me feel guilty and I didn't even live during either war! Great post and very interesting!
ReplyDeleteThank you Ryann. There were countless propaganda posters made on all sides during the two World Wars. Though I do not personally agree with their ideology, Communist governments used propaganda art very effectively during the Cold War era as well. If you have a minute, do a quick Google search of Russian Revolution, Chinese Revolution, Great Leap Forward, and Cultural Revolution (China) propaganda art. It should come as no surprise that the "hermit kingdom" of North Korea has some pretty extreme anti-America propaganda art too.
DeleteI love propaganda posters - I'm often used as the resource to translate the German signs. There sure are some wicked ones on their front. The posters speak to kids too - particularly the creepier they get (or so I find). If you search "Propagandaplakatte 2. Weltkrieg" on Google, you'll find a ton of "interesting" WWII German options.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the suggestion! I just did the search and the results yielded a few posters I had never seen before! Hitler used the embarrassment of losing WWI and the economic hardships of the time to gain support for his Nazi party but I sometimes wonder if he would have secured complete control of Germany without the help of his propaganda minister Joseph Goebbels. The Nazis were very effective at using propaganda to grow their party, the Waffen SS posters are great examples of what Hitler and Himmler wanted every good little German boy to grow up to be.
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