The Art of Persuasion Media And Propaganda in America During The World War II

By Davis Truman

Delve into the immersive world of World War II through the lens of popular culture with this compelling book. It offers a fresh perspective by meticulously analyzing the overarching themes in various mediums. From the silver screen to the airwaves, and from the pages of comic books to the whimsical world of cartoons, witness how these diverse forms of media coalesced into a formidable instrument of propaganda and public information for the American home front and military.

This book illuminates the profound impact of film, radio, cartoons, and comic books in shaping the cultural landscape of wartime America. Gain insight into the prevailing themes permeating the American media, reflecting the ethos and spirit of a nation gripped by conflict. Immerse yourself in a comprehensive exploration that unveils the symbiotic relationship between popular culture and World War II and sheds light on media's profound influence in shaping perceptions and ideologies during one of the most tumultuous periods in history.

• Language: English
• Publisher: vincenzo nappi
• Release date: Feb 27, 2024
• ISBN: 9798224896950

Book preview

Chapter One

Popular Culture and Propaganda

PROPAGANDA HAS BEEN utilized for centuries to build support or hatred for movements. It is an important part of any political system. It is a powerful tool, especially in times of war. Every industry in America was utilized for the war effort during World War II, including popular culture. Hollywood became a juggernaut for the war effort. It was not just one form of media either. The film, Radio, cartoons, and comic books were all used. According to Hadley Cantril's article, Public Opinion in Flux, only one-third of the population would vote to go to war with Germany by late 1941. With the increasing tension as the conflict worsened, the American government needed to be sure the public would be behind them if they went to war. In all its forms, popular culture was utilized to build the support the American government needed for the country to engage in a war. Popular culture would assist in the war effort by doing things such as inspiring distrust of the enemy, helping to educate the military and civilians on various wartime issues, and assisting in building homefront support for the war effort.

This topic of World War II propaganda and popular culture examines how the government and popular media changed their course to build war support and how this action affected the American public and military. Popular culture deeply reflects the values and ideals of any era. It helped to showcase what Americans found important for the war effort and reflected the values of the time. Popular culture is a powerful selling tool, and combining it with propaganda was an impressive way to sell specific values and ideals to the American public. Propaganda has a very negative context in the modern world, but for this work, it is important to define what propaganda meant for the time. In July 1944, Dr. Ralph D. Casey wrote What is Propaganda? He says:

To some speakers and writers, propaganda is an instrument of the devil. They look on the propagandist as a person who is deliberately trying to hoodwink us, who uses half-truths, who lies, who suppresses, conceals, and distorts the facts... The difficulty with such a view is that welfare groups and governments themselves secure benefits for a people through propaganda. Moreover, national propaganda in the throes of war aims to bolster the security of the non-aggressor state and assure its citizens' eventual well-being and safety. No one would deny that this kind of propaganda, intelligently administered, benefits every man, woman, and child in the land.

For this book, the definition of propaganda will more closely align with Casey's idea that it provides security and assurance of eventual well-being. Propaganda, in this sense, was more a dissemination of public information than anything else. This book aims to showcase how the American government used popular culture to distribute propaganda to its citizens and showcase the narrative they wanted for wartime America.

The Office of War Information was formed on June 13, 1942, under Executive Order 9812. In this order, Roosevelt says it is being issued In recognition of the right of the American people and of all the other peoples opposing the Axis aggressors to be truthfully informed about the common war effort.... Creating an agency that would handle the dissemination of wartime information would help create a coherent vision of what is happening to the American public. While this order listed several duties, the most important one for this book is 4a. This goal outlines the purpose of the OWI. This was to Formulate and carry out, through the use of press, radio, motion picture, and other facilities information programs designed to facilitate the development of an informed and intelligent understanding, at home and abroad, of the status and progress of the war effort and of the war policies, activities, and aims of the Government. The OWI quickly became heavily involved in Hollywood and creating wartime propaganda.

The OWI became involved in film more than other popular culture mediums. The B.M.P., or the Bureau of Motion Pictures, established a liaison office in Hollywood to assist with the war effort in 1941. This agency was headed by Lowell Mellett. He had been an aide to Roosevelt since 1939 and headed up the Office of Government Reports.6 In June of 1942, this liaison office merged with the Office of War Information and became part of the domestic sector of the OWI. Movies were a powerful selling tool. They helped to shape culture and were a popular form of media for getting information across. Roosevelt believed that motion pictures would be one of the most effective ways to reach the American public. There was a massive increase in movie production as it became a part of the war effort. They created and released almost five hundred pictures annually, drawing eighty million paid weekly admissions. These movies were quickly becoming a source of wartime entertainment but also a powerful tool for the propaganda that was being created during that time, especially with the involvement of the OWI.

Much of the focus of the OWI was on the use of film, but Radio did fall under its umbrella, and Roosevelt understood how important it was to the war effort. Almost every American Home had a radio; it was one of the best ways to disseminate information to the public. The most popular shows brought an average of 30 million listeners out of 150 million, and F.D.R.’s fireside chats drew in at least half the population. Shows like The Jack Benny Show and Fibber McGee and Molly were utilized to build up support early in the war. These popular figures were essential in building war support.

Walt Disney's and Warner Brothers' cartoons are perfect examples of the private sector and the government-mandated media coming together. For the first time in the history of Walt Disney, the cartoons would have a different purpose than just entertainment. They would be used for the explicit purpose of propaganda. These cartoons would become another tool of the war machine. While these cartoons were entertaining, they were also important learning tools for the public. Warner Brothers also created cartoons, but they were not under government contract. This meant that they had more freedom in what they could create. Disney was under a strict government contract, which meant they had to stick to specific themes. Still, Warner Brothers was able to address the grittier wartime topics because they were not under government contract. This meant that Warner Brothers could address more real issues for the public than Disney could. Walt Disney did not want his company under the government in the early days of the war. In his book, Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination, Neal Gabler says Disney had always disdained anything that he deemed contrary to the company’s essential purpose: entertainment. Even though Disney did not want to take government contracts, he understood he would have to. The studio had financial issues, and taking government contracts would help alleviate some of the financial burden. The first film Disney created was Four Methods of Flush Riveting, released in 1941. His first government contract was with John Grierson, the film commissioner of Canada, because of the Four Methods film.

The contract stated that Disney would produce ...a film on the fundamentals of flush riveting, an instructional film on an antitank rifle, and four shorts promoting the sale of Canadian war bonds. This initial contract would signal a change in Disney’s mission. The mission of Disney was no longer extended entertainment but education and persuasion. Disney would continue to create wartime cartoons even though it was not what he envisioned or wanted for his company. His World War II-era cartoons have become classics in the cartoon realm.

The Warner Brothers' origins in the war differed from Disney’s. While Disney entered the wartime sector financially, the Warner Brothers did it for more personal reasons. Harry and Jack Warner were Polish-Jewish immigrants. They risked their money and reputation to produce anti-fascist films from the mid-30s to the early 40s. These films included Black Legion, Confessions of a Nazi Spy, The Adventures of Robin Hood, They Won’t Forget, Juarez, Dr. Ehrlich’s Magic Bullet, The Life of Emile Zola, and Sargent York. The Warner Brothers would not ignore the dangers they saw in Europe and actively strove to educate the public about the dangers, even at the risk of their reputation. For years, the Warner Brothers were the