Propaganda in World War One

Propaganda is information that is spread in order to promote one's cause. The information is not always correct, as it is often an exaggeration of reality, in order to get the public on the side of the advertiser.

Propaganda used during the war obtained their methods through the advertising industry. As oppose to getting people to purchase a product, such as baking soda, its purpose was to buy people support.

The fundamental intent of advertising is to accomplish two things: to keep the name of the product fresh in our minds, and to overload us with information about the product that makes it seem better than any other. The propaganda used during wartime had different intentions: to influence a person's decision without looking at the facts.

The major difference between wartime propaganda and advertisements was that advertisements were obliged to tell the truth, but propaganda faced no regulations. All governments were prepared to mislead their citizens in order to increase their chances of winning the war. Because of this, the citizens often found themselves in a crisis, trying to differentiate the difference between fact and fiction.

The most efficient use of propaganda was to praise one side for being the saviour, the other the aggressor. Propaganda was also used to degrade the enemy as cowards and an uncivilized group.

The government felt they needed to control all media sources, such as the radio, newspaper, music, and other sources of information. Thus, free speech was eliminated and censorship flourished.

In order to get one's message of propaganda across, they had to undergo a lengthy process. The propaganda had to appeal to people, relating to their everyday life, and it had to be within reasonable limits.

An example of propaganda within World War One included the war saving stamps. The Canadian government appealed to Canadian women, telling them to invest in the war effort. At the end of the war, people who bought the stamps would be able to get a return on their investments. The government said it was the woman's duty to assist their fellow men in preparing for combat.

Propaganda is a very useful tool, but it also can create much controversy. It helped the allies to win the war, and keep the spirits up for those in the army. Propaganda, however, angered many citizens; as it was a time when fact and fiction were hard differentiate.