Common Tactics of Propaganda in WWII

Propaganda in World War II

Propaganda played a key part in the United States’ war effort. Although much more subtle, propaganda was as much a weapon of the war as manpower and ammunition. In addition to the radio broadcasts, movies, and comic books, over 200,000 poster designs were produced during WWII by the Office of War Information (OWI), The Treasury Department, branches of the armed force, and recruitment bureaus. These groups used many propaganda types (fear, bandwagon, etc.) and many themes (conservation, recruitment, etc.) to win over the hearts and minds of Americans.

“The principal battleground of the war is not the South Pacific. It is not the Middle East. It is not England, or

Norway, or the Russian Steppes. It is American opinion.”

--Archibald MacLeish, Director of the Office of Facts and Figures,

forerunner of the Office of War Administration

Types of Propaganda:

Name-Calling—the use of derogatory or negative words. It connects a person or a thing to a negative image or symbol. In this technique it is hoped that the audience will accept the connection without investigating the evidence.

Example: Fascist, terrorist, cowardly, radical (during WWII using Jap for Japanese).

Types of Propaganda:

Glittering Generalities—these are virtue words (good, democracy, religious, motherhood) for which we have deep seeded ideas. Words we believe in, live by, and are ready to fight for. This is dangerous because these words mean different things to different people. Propagandists will use these words to get people to choose a side or fight a war but their definition of the word may not be the same as yours. It is name-calling in reverse. Instead of wanting you to reject someone because of something negative they say, they want you to accept and support something because of what you support and believe in.

Example: If you are patriotic, you will fight in this war. Good people do this (fill in) and during WWII good mothers can and scrap.

Multiple Choice

The poster shows a women canning food and supporting rationing. It is “patriotic” to do these things (it is a ________ because patriotic means different things to different people).

• Bandwagon

• Name calling

• Glittering Generalities

• Testimonial

Types of Propaganda:

Transfer—when the propagandist transfers the importance, power, or approval of something we respect and accept to something else they wish us to accept and respect. Symbols are often used.

Example: a picture of a cross or other religious symbol next to a politician, “science based” and during WWII they

often used Uncle Sam in posters to show that something was “American.”

Multiple Choice

The poster shows men fighting in the American Revolution and WWII. If you believe that the Revolutionary War was necessary (for liberty) then of course you should fight in this war (for liberty). The poster transfers the importance of and reason for the American Revolution to WWII.

• Bandwagon

• Transfer

• Glittering Generalities

• Testimonial

Types of Propaganda:

Testimonial—the recommendation or endorsement of something by a person whose opinion is valued (or who is

famous). There is nothing wrong with someone qualified recommending someone or something but testimonials are often used in ways that are misleading and unfair.

Example: a doctor selling a medication on television, a famous singer endorsing a presidential candidate and

during WWII President Roosevelt telling Americans to buy War Bonds.

Multiple Choice

The poster shows Santa telling everyone to buy war bonds. There are few more recognizable images then Santa. Children and adults would have recognized the image.

• Bandwagon

• Transfer

• Glittering Generalities

• Testimonial

Types of Propaganda:

Bandwagon—everyone is doing it and so should you. No one wants to be left out or ignored so people will join or agree

when they believe “everyone” is doing it.

Example: peer pressure, joining a religious group or political party, buying a product or service and during WWII

posters that said everyone has a Victory Garden, or scraps, or joins up.

Multiple Choice

The poster encourages everyone join the war effort-to build arms for victory. It is using _____________

• Bandwagon

• Name calling

• Transfer

• Euphemism

Types of Propaganda:

Euphemism—this is used when propagandists make something awful or negative more palatable. Words that are bland or neutral are often used.

Example: civilian deaths are “collateral damage,” lying is “fabricating,” and murder is “liquidation,” and during WWII (and other times of war) death is “loss.”

Types of Propaganda:

Fear—the propagandist warns that something horrible will happen to the group or person if they do not follow a specific

course of action. They play on fear and try to get you not to think.

Example: if you don’t vote for me we will be attacked by our enemy, and during WWII posters that said if you

don’t conserve bacon fat, soldiers will die.

Multiple Choice

The poster shows a sailor dead on the beach-but his death is called a “loss.” The poster also uses fear as a motivator for not speaking out of turn.

• Bandwagon

• Name calling

• Fear

Multiple Choice

The poster shows children in the shadow of the Nazis. If you do not buy war bonds-the Nazis will come for your children. It is employing ___________tactics.

• Bandwagon

• Name calling

• Transfer

• Fear

“The function of the war poster is to make coherent and acceptable a basically incoherent and irrational

ordeal of killing, suffering, and destruction that violate every accepted principle of morality and decent living.”

--O.W. Riegal, propaganda analyst for the Office of War Information