Essay on Propaganda as Effective Weapon
On the accepted premise that a gun is an extremely effective weapon, with the ability to inflict fatal injuries, and to cause enough pressure on an individual to persuade them to do just about anything, the statement 'propaganda is as effective weapon as a gun’ can be agreed with only to the slightest of extents because propaganda, “the material disseminated by the advocates or opponents of a doctrine or cause”1 is simply a far more effective weapon. In the context of World War One, which marked the zenith of propaganda as a psychological weapon in modern history, propaganda was utilised in many different forms, the most common of which were posters, films, post cards, brochures and artwork. This diversity was however matched with the similarly innovative military weapons of World War One; machine guns, flame-throwers, poisonous gas, heavy artillery, aircraft, and tanks. The superior effectiveness of propaganda as a weapon in World War One in fact lay in its flexibility in terms of the messages that could be successfully portrayed, and the unlimited nature of its effects. The physical weapons utilised by the Allied and Central forces in the duration of World War One each had definite effects and specific purposes; heavy artillery was an “area weapon”2, it was simply designed to cover an area of ground with fire with the explicit intentions of softening enemy lines and providing defense. Its effects could be increased with the implementation of specific strategies and tactics such as preparatory bombardments and rolling or creeping barrages, but its effects were limited not only to the battlefield, but also by tangible obstructions such as communication. Propaganda as a weapon in World War One could however portray any message from encouraging wartime thrift to demonizing the enemy through various techniques; word games, false connections and special appeals, without any apparent repetition and it was able to reach both home fronts of participating nations and the battlefronts alike. Furthermore, because each publication of propaganda could be interpreted on so many different levels, and each slightly differently by every individual, it was the most effective weapon utilised in World War One, far more influential than any physical weapon, and thus, the statement ‘propaganda is as effective weapon as a gun’ can be agreed with only to the slightest of extents.
Propaganda was such an effective weapon in World War One, because just about any message could be portrayed successfully. A major element to this success was the numerous techniques used, so that the same message could be “recycled and regurgitated”3 into various different forms, so that the message did in fact bombard the audience, but it didn’t seem as such because it never became exhausted. The first of these techniques is word games, which was used in World War One with the use of two main devices, name calling and glittering generalities. Name calling is a device that basically “links a person or an idea”4 to a negative symbol with the objective for the audience to “reject”5 this person or idea solely on the basis on this connection.
Many Allied propaganda campaigns launched throughout World War One predominantly used this technique, with the development of the connection between the nation of Germany and Huns; members of a nomadic pastoralist people who invaded Europe in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. and who were defeated in 455. This connection portrayed the nation of Germany and German soldiers as barbarous and destructive, examples of propaganda posters which use this technique are shown in figures one, two and three.
Propaganda was such an effective weapon in World War One, because just about any message could be portrayed successfully. A major element to this success was the numerous techniques used, so that the same message could be “recycled and regurgitated”3 into various different forms, so that the message did in fact bombard the audience, but it didn’t seem as such because it never became exhausted. The first of these techniques is word games, which was used in World War One with the use of two main devices, name calling and glittering generalities. Name calling is a device that basically “links a person or an idea”4 to a negative symbol with the objective for the audience to “reject”5 this person or idea solely on the basis on this connection.
Many Allied propaganda campaigns launched throughout World War One predominantly used this technique, with the development of the connection between the nation of Germany and Huns; members of a nomadic pastoralist people who invaded Europe in the fourth and fifth centuries A.D. and who were defeated in 455. This connection portrayed the nation of Germany and German soldiers as barbarous and destructive, examples of propaganda posters which use this technique are shown in figures one, two and three.
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