Name ________________________________ Date ______ Per_______ Propaganda of WWI

Guiding Question: How was propaganda used to gain people support of a “total war”?
Terms: Propaganda, Total War
Skills: Identifying propaganda; identifying ways propaganda manipulates the truth, understanding when and why
propaganda tends to be used

Give a single, group answer for these three questions.

(1) Define propaganda.

(2) How can you tell if something is propaganda?

(3) Why do we use propaganda?

Individual Assessment: (5 min)

(6) What is happening in the picture?

(7) What is the message of the picture?

(8) What symbols are used in the picture?

(9) How does the artist appeal to emotion? Consider word selection and artistic techniques.

(10) From this list, what other propaganda techniques do you think the artist used?

Common Propaganda Techniques

BANDWAGON: Everyone is doing it; so should you. The bandwagon approach appeals to the conformist in all of
us: No one wants to be left out of what is perceived to be a popular trend.
TESTIMONIAL: This is the celebrity endorsement of a philosophy, movement or candidate.
PLAIN FOLKS: The cause is identified with common people from everyday walks of life. The idea is to make the
cause come off as grassroots & patriotic.
TRANSFER: Vague symbols, words, or images to convey a message not necessarily associated with them.
Religious and patriotic images may be the most commonly used but they can also include science, civilization, and
family values.
NAME-CALLING: Associating a person/cause with a largely perceived negative image. In a campaign speech to a
logging company, the Congressman referred to his environmentally conscious opponent as a "tree hugger."
Group Questions: Share your propaganda findings with the group. Then, as a group, answer these questions. (15 min)

(1) Look at the different propaganda pieces from the different cultures. How did all propaganda pieces dehumanize
the “enemy”?

(2) Would this propaganda have long-lasting effects on society after WWI? Explain.

(3) WWI was the first “total war” where the economy of a country and the lives of every single citizen was based
around the war. How did propaganda try to persuade different groups of people to support the war?

(4) Critique the use of propaganda in WWI.

(a) Why was it used? List as many reasons as you can think of.

(b) Did it effectively achieve those goals? Explain.

(c) Was it ethical to use propaganda to achieve those goals? Explain.

(d) Should the US Government use propaganda in times of war? Explain.