Specifically, propagandists were able to convince society to do their part through appeals and morality, whether it be fighting on the warfront or remaining homebound. Propaganda taught its audience that everyone had a part to play in World War I; men were to fight on the battlegrounds while women and children were to support the soldiers while remaining homebound (World War I). Propaganda was also supported because of the way it depicted a country’s enemies. One of the main goals in war propaganda was to make the country’s enemies seem evil and wrong. For example, the poster Destroy This Mad Brute depicts Germany as an ape. This ape was holding a bloody bat labeled “kultur”, meaning “culture”. This represents the uncivilized nature of German culture, for the bat was covered in blood and makes it clear that German culture had been violent. The ape was also wearing a helmet with “militarism” engraved across the front, showing the corruption of German government, for militarism was one of the main causes of World War I and was building tension between opposing countries. This poster is a clear example of how governments strived to make their opposition look worse and display them in a way that makes the audience hate them (Hopps). This idea of negatively depicting the enemy implies the moral duty of one country’s citizens--to only support their country, not the enemy. By twisting the truth about World War I and the opposing countries, propagandists were able to give audiences the perspective that this war was morally justified and worth fighting
Specifically, propagandists were able to convince society to do their part through appeals and morality, whether it be fighting on the warfront or remaining homebound. Propaganda taught its audience that everyone had a part to play in World War I; men were to fight on the battlegrounds while women and children were to support the soldiers while remaining homebound (World War I). Propaganda was also supported because of the way it depicted a country’s enemies. One of the main goals in war propaganda was to make the country’s enemies seem evil and wrong. For example, the poster Destroy This Mad Brute depicts Germany as an ape. This ape was holding a bloody bat labeled “kultur”, meaning “culture”. This represents the uncivilized nature of German culture, for the bat was covered in blood and makes it clear that German culture had been violent. The ape was also wearing a helmet with “militarism” engraved across the front, showing the corruption of German government, for militarism was one of the main causes of World War I and was building tension between opposing countries. This poster is a clear example of how governments strived to make their opposition look worse and display them in a way that makes the audience hate them (Hopps). This idea of negatively depicting the enemy implies the moral duty of one country’s citizens--to only support their country, not the enemy. By twisting the truth about World War I and the opposing countries, propagandists were able to give audiences the perspective that this war was morally justified and worth fighting