Propaganda: The Twisted Truth “War propaganda...twisted the truth and allowed for governmental control of people’s thoughts and viewpoints towards the war” (World War I). Used in order to display a positive image of World War I, propaganda was the government’s attempt to hide away the terrifying parts of war and to magnify the positives of it. Propaganda was used as a weapon against a country 's enemy, as it gave society a twisted image of the enemy and incorrectly displayed the war as something noble, where the country utilizing the stretched truth was painted as justified. World War I propaganda was most commonly seen in forms that could be viewed in daily activities, such as posters, books, drawings, and films (Cooke). Through the utilization
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Specifically, propagandists were able to convince society to do their part through appeals and morality, whether it be fighting on the warfront or remaining homebound. Propaganda taught its audience that everyone had a part to play in World War I; men were to fight on the battlegrounds while women and children were to support the soldiers while remaining homebound (World War I). Propaganda was also supported because of the way it depicted a country’s enemies. One of the main goals in war propaganda was to make the country’s enemies seem evil and wrong. For example, the poster Destroy This Mad Brute depicts Germany as an ape. This ape was holding a bloody bat labeled “kultur”, meaning “culture”. This represents the uncivilized nature of German culture, for the bat was covered in blood and makes it clear that German culture had been violent. The ape was also wearing a helmet with “militarism” engraved across the front, showing the corruption of German government, for militarism was one of the main causes of World War I and was building tension between opposing countries. This poster is a clear example of how governments strived to make their opposition look worse and display them in a way that makes the audience hate them (Hopps). This idea of negatively depicting the enemy implies the moral duty of one country’s citizens--to only support their country, not the enemy. By twisting the truth about World War I and the opposing countries, propagandists were able to give audiences the perspective that this war was morally justified and worth fighting
Specifically, propagandists were able to convince society to do their part through appeals and morality, whether it be fighting on the warfront or remaining homebound. Propaganda taught its audience that everyone had a part to play in World War I; men were to fight on the battlegrounds while women and children were to support the soldiers while remaining homebound (World War I). Propaganda was also supported because of the way it depicted a country’s enemies. One of the main goals in war propaganda was to make the country’s enemies seem evil and wrong. For example, the poster Destroy This Mad Brute depicts Germany as an ape. This ape was holding a bloody bat labeled “kultur”, meaning “culture”. This represents the uncivilized nature of German culture, for the bat was covered in blood and makes it clear that German culture had been violent. The ape was also wearing a helmet with “militarism” engraved across the front, showing the corruption of German government, for militarism was one of the main causes of World War I and was building tension between opposing countries. This poster is a clear example of how governments strived to make their opposition look worse and display them in a way that makes the audience hate them (Hopps). This idea of negatively depicting the enemy implies the moral duty of one country’s citizens--to only support their country, not the enemy. By twisting the truth about World War I and the opposing countries, propagandists were able to give audiences the perspective that this war was morally justified and worth fighting