The Nature And Purpose Of World War Ii Propaganda

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The Nature and Purpose of World War II Propaganda Posters Abstract Prior to and during World War II, the United States government engaged in an extensive poster propaganda campaign to inspire Americans about a wide range of issues relating to the war. These posters were designed to make an emotional appeal to U.S. citizens to participate in the war effort. The Nature and Purpose of World War II Propaganda Posters With so many still feeling the effects of the great depression, and dealing with the aftermath of World War I, the preponderance of the United States did not support participation in World War II. Most citizens thought that getting involved in a costly war was not the best decision for America; that our resources should be spent rebuilding the country, not fighting another conflict. The United States government recognized that sooner or later America would be involved in the war, so for this reason, the government launched a massive poster propaganda campaign to convince the American public of the immediate danger presented by the Axis powers (Germany, Japan, and Italy). The campaign focused on persuading the public of the necessity of U.S. involvement, and the need for increased production. As the Allies (France, Britain, Russia and the United States) and the Axis powers prepared for war, it was necessary for both sides to motivate their population to support the war and to increase production (Oracle). Once the United States entered into the war, the poster propaganda campaign focused on emotional appeals for a wide variety of war related issues. Citizens were barraged with propaganda aimed at keeping morale high and encouraging participation on many levels. Propaganda was used more extensively during World War II than any other time during the twentieth century (Karrington, 2007). At the same time that Americans were being bombarded with pro-war
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