¶ … war can never truly be called a humane practice, the atrocities of World War One were in many ways unprecedented. The program of "total war" that dominated military discourse enabled and in many cases actively advocated the killing of civilians, something that had not before been considered traditional military strategy. Moreover, significant technological developments in warfare made it possible to annihilate large numbers of people at once. Propaganda campaigns became integral to the "total war" theater. Atrocity propaganda was "employed on a global scale" during the first world war to serve four key functions: the mobilization of hatred against the enemy, to "convince" the population of their own righteousness in the cause, to enlist support from otherwise neutral parties or countries, and to strengthen support for allies.[footnoteRef:1] During the peak of the age of nationalism, national identities fueled the power of propaganda during the First World War, making the enforcement of ethnicity, race, and nationalism underlying functions of political propaganda. Coupled with new technologies, the result was the beginning of horrifically inhumane military campaigns. [1: David Welch. "Depicting the Enemy." British Library. Accessed: http://www.bl.uk/world-war-one/articles/depicting-the-enemy] During the First World War,...
It was proposed, through the aggressive use of propaganda, that anyone from target populations was inherently an enemy who could not be trusted and who deserved-indeed needed to die -- in the interests of national defense. This xenophobic mentality plays itself out in the posters circulating at the time, such as the "Arch Enemy" poster from Russia and the cartoon maps depicting stereotypes of people from different nations.[footnoteRef:2] By caricaturizing people, targeting ethnicity and nationality in this way, a campaign of dehumanization had begun. No longer were civilians innocent people, but rather, they had been turned into the epitome of evil on the part of their enemies. As a result of dehumanization, soldiers and military leaders alike could become desensitized to the campaign of total war. Propaganda created nationalistic and xenophobic mentalities that propagated racism. [2: Welch. "Depicting the Enemy."]
Because of this, Austria-Hungary reached out to Germany in order to make sure that if this happened that Austria-Hungary would not be alone. Germany was aware that any further toleration of Serbian maneuverings would weaken Serbia's continuation as a State and their situation as a great Power, therefore also intimidating the equilibrium of power in Europe. Germany was convinced that Russia saw that it was in its own best interest,
Nazi Germany Nazi Propaganda and the Spread of Fascism World War II was precipitated by the rise of fascism throughout Europe. As the mores of socialism began to take root in many parts of the continent, fascism emerged as a powerful counterpoint. For nations like Italy, Spain and Germany, the consequences of a sustained and devastating recession would be a coalescing of support behind strong, self-proclaimed and authoritarian leaders. Certainly, most notorious
leadership is crucial to successful political military campaigns. Close scrutiny of the military and political leaders of the First World War demonstrate how political leaders use methods like propaganda and ideology to forge their victories in the psyches of the people, helping military leaders achieve their goals by engendering trust, courage, and conviction in spite of tremendous hardships and even death. Similarly, the victories of military leaders become critical
U.S. Involvement in World War I & II: There are several historical details of America's involvement in the First and Second world wars and the critical role that this country played in the two wars. Studies on these historical events have mainly focused on examining the involvement of the United States in the wars, the results of the engagement, and its impact on the country's position nationally and globally. America's involvement
Woodrow Wilson and WWI When people think of the First World War, they think of Woodrow Wilson and his decision to enter the war. However, some scholars argue that it was not Wilson's decision but his cabinet's decision to actually enter WWI. Examined here will be both primary and secondary sources addressing Wilson and the war, which will provide information as to the decision he made and what was really behind it
perceptions of World War One propaganda from the Dutch, neutral perspective. The reception of this foreign propaganda can be measured in a number of different ways: via the culling of contemporary newspapers with editorials reacting to the propaganda, and with counter-propaganda materials such as pamphlets. Special attention will be given to pamphlets, posters, and other propaganda describing the 1914 invasion of Belgium by Germany, known colloquially as the Rape
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