Transcript American propaganda during World War II

American propaganda
during World War II
By Julie Finnøy
Content
 WWII approaching.
 Roosevelt – OWI and the
Writer’s War Board.
 Themes.
 Examples: posters.
 Advertisement.
 Dr. Seuss.
 Animation – Walt Disney.
 Effect.
WWII approaching
 General feeling.
 Losses sustained during WWI.
 Energy spent at home – improvement.
 War starts in Europe (1939) – not their war.
Roosevelt – OWI and the
Writer’s War Board
 No longer comfortably
distant;
 Pearl Harbor 7.Dec 1941 Japan attacks.
 4 days later Hitler declares
war.
 1942 – Roosevelt creates
the Office of War
Information. War info + P.
 WWB – privately
organized. Collaborated
with the government.
Propaganda themes
 Anti-German, Italian and Japanese.
 “Loose lips can sink ships” – careful, spies.
 Victories – heroism.
 Optimism (false?) – won’t be a long war.
 War effort  conservation, limited supplies.
 production, victory gardens.
 Buying war bonds – a patriotic act.
 womanpower, enter the work force.
 “The girl next door” pin-ups. Symbol + fight for.
 Pro-British, Russian, Chinese and Filipino.
Propaganda posters
 Early war poster –
Nazi threat closer
than you think.
 Imagery.
 Swastika.
 Innocent, patriotic
children.
 Buy war bonds –
financial support.
 Needed materials
and supplies for war
effort.
 Urging people to
conserve gas.
  could fuel tanks
and aircraft.
 “For your country’s sake today
– for your sake tomorrow”.
 Help win the war – also gain
more rights.
 campaign to get women into
the armed forces and wartime
production industries –
needed more workers.
Advertisement
 Ads supporting the war.
 Lucky Strike;
  From green to white
packaging – to save bronze
for weapons.
 Sales through the roof.
 Coca-Cola used similar
techniques.
Dr. Seuss
• “Dr. Seuss goes to war”
• Book, Richard H. Minear.
• Political cartoons, sway the
public opinion.
• Critical of isolationists
opposing the U.S. entering
the war.
•  appeasement policy,
letting Germany take land
that they had to give up after
WWI.
Walt Disney
 8. Dec 1941, U.S.
government.
 Army personnel stationed at
his studio.
 The U.S. army and Disney
made films for different
audiences – propaganda,
training/educational videos
for troops.
 Intended to build morale.
Der Fuhrer’s Face
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4tDTe9sOdU&featu
re=related
 6:56
Out of the frying pan, into the
firing line
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s06_l6V0MQ&feature=related
 0:10
Effect
 Morale.
 36 billion dollars purchased in bonds by individuals.
(Children accounting for close to 1 billion).
 Women were encouraged to enter the work force.
 Also spread information – what to do and what not to
do.
 Optimism.
 Encouraged people to help – seen as patriotic.
Sources

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s06_l6V-0MQ&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4tDTe9sOdU&feature=related

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/ww2/media/images/posters/ride.jpg

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/ww2/media/images/posters/shadow.jpg

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_propaganda_during_World_War_II

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_home_front_during_World_War_II

http://library.thinkquest.org/C0111500/ww2/american/amerprop.htm