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Propaganda Posters of World War One

Introductory slides

Subject(s): History, English

Age group(s): 12-14

Topic: World War One

EAL Nexus resource

Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. ©British Council 2014

Source | This resource was originally developed by Zdravka Davies and has been adapted by EAL Nexus.

Propaganda Posters of World War One

What is Propaganda?Propaganda is information that is spread to promote a cause or belief.

In World War One propaganda posters were used to:-o recruit men to join the armyo use women to encourage their men to join the armyo portray the enemy, the Germans, negativelyo recruit women to work in the factories, in the

Women’s Land Army and to become nurseso keep morale high, encourage people to buy

government bonds and not to waste food

Why were propaganda posters needed during World War One?When Britain declared war with Germany in August 1914, it had only a small professional army.

They desperately needed men to join up and fight

Most people did not have radios ( and TV and Internet had not yet been invented!)

The easiest way for the government to communicate with the people was through posters stuck up on walls in all the towns and cities

Posters became the “weapon on the wall”

Why are WW1 Propaganda Posters interesting today? For historians today, propaganda

posters of World War One reveal (show) the values and attitudes of the time

They tell us something about the feelings in Britain during World WarOne

AHow were men encouraged to join the army?Men were made to feel unmanly and cowardly for staying at home. They were influenced through persuasion, fear, guilt, confrontation and accusation. The posters were appealing to the men’s patriotism, reminding them that they had the duty of serving their God, king and country.

BHow were women used to encourage men to join the army?

Women were encouraged to pressurise their husbands, fathers, sons and brothers to join the army. The propaganda addressed the emotions of all women.

CHow were the Germans presented negatively?Posters showed the atrocities (cruel, violent acts) that the Germans were said to be committing in France and Belgium.

People were encouraged to fear that unless they were stopped, the Germans would invade Britain and commit atrocities against their families .

The posters exaggerated the hatred and fear of the Germans by making people think that they might attack their friends and families.

DHow were women encouraged to work as nurses, in factories, or join the Women’s land army?When the men joined the war, the women were needed to do their jobs. They started working in the factories producing weapons, ammunition (bullets, grenades, bombs) and uniforms needed for the soldiers. There was food shortage and women grew food for the people of Britain and the soldiers in the army. Thousands of men were injured at the Front and military hospitals needed more nurses.

EEncouraging everyone to do their bito All British citizens were encouraged to

work for the war effort

o People were given advice on how not to waste food by being self-sufficient, growing and preserving food.

o All were encouraged to invest in government bonds, which was a way of building the government funds.