Veritas University, Abuja

PSD 816

International Organizations, Arms Control And Disarmament

College of Social Sciences

Department of Political science and diplomacy

14th July, 2022

Wariso, Terence Idatonye

A FAILED STATE: FOCUS ON SYRIA

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Introduction

2. What is propaganda

3. The second world war propaganda as a fundamental element of international law.

4. Conclusion

5. References
INTRODUCTION

The year 1939, the Nazi party, led by Adolf Hitler, was in power and Europe was in a state of distress

and soon the whole world would be involved in a war that would devastate mankind for generations to

come. World War II involved many great nations of the world, such as the Axis Powers: Germany,

Italy, and Japan; and the Allied Powers: France, Britain, and Russia. On December 7, 1941, America

would join the Allies after Japan attacked Hawaii’s coast at Pearl Harbor, Oahu. The war was a

terrible fight; however, the fight wasn’t just fought on land, air, or water. There was a more subtle

fight being fought by the Axis and Allied government’s movie makers and poster designers. These

men and women played an important role in drawing up certain beliefs about their enemies and the

war by spreading these types of thoughts to their fellow citizens to bring some type of unity for their
nation. These psychological soldiers tried to promote a love for their country through the power of

propaganda.

During World War II German propaganda emphasized the prowess of the German army and

contrasted it with the British and Allied armies who were depicted as cowards and butchers, or brave

but misguided. Russian troops were presented as dehumanized beasts and killers who attacked

without fear of death. After the Nazi loss at Stalingrad in February 1943, Goebbels admitted recent

losses and argued for total war in his famous Sportpalast speech. While the new strategy prolonged

the war, Goebbels recognized that his efforts were failing. The essence of propaganda consists in

winning people over to an idea so sincerely, so vitally, that in the end they succumb to it utterly and

can never again escape from it," wrote Joseph Goebbels in his diary. Adolph Hitler agreed. Following

the Nazis' rise to power in 1933, he established a Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and

Propaganda with Goebbels as its head. Goebbels promoted the Nazi message through art, music,

theater, films, books, radio, and the press, and censored all opposition.

WHAT IS PROPAGANDA.

Propaganda is defined as, ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to

damage an opposing cause. Propaganda can also be seen an instrument to regulate international

relations, especially in war.

During World War II, Propaganda was a driving force that kept the battles heated and each nation’s

population united for a common cause. When we look back at World War II and the times we were

in, how effective was propaganda though? How was it represented, and what images would persuade

the people of each country to fight in the war? Both countries, Germany and the United States,

created vast promotions during the war that were degrading to their opposing sides. A great sense of
nationalism was building up and these propagandists did anything to keep their country on top no

matter how degrading and deceiving we could possibly be. They stereotyped and lied about their

opponents just to heighten patriotism through posters and film and the images used in these types of

propaganda by both governments took every flaw of our enemies and blew them out of proportion.

While the United States promoted production and Germany uplifted xenophobic thoughts, both

countries created a sense of nationalism and brought their countries together under fraudulent

thoughts of their enemies.

THE SECOND WORLD WAR PROPAGANDA AS A FUNDAMENTAL ELEMENT OF

INTERNATIONAL LAW.

One of the main reasons why World War II had a huge impact on the world was from propaganda

because it promoted a great deal of industry and economic stability. When one thinks of how many

people participated in the war, they probably only think of how many soldiers fought in the war and

how many casualties there were. Due to the art of propaganda, most of the citizens from each country

during World War II were acting participants because it lit a fire in everyone’s stomachs to help their

country’s cause in whatever way possible.

Also, Propaganda and advertisement sometimes became inextricably entwined in the process. Many

companies used this advertising effect to lure consumers to buy their product, but promote patriotism

at the same time. Poster designers created posters that promoted the building of tanks and other war

materials to help the country. Therefore posters were created to instill in the minds of the citizens

implying that even normal citizens can take part in the war even if they are not fighting.

Germany used similar tactics; however, they didn’t promote production as much as the United States

did. Their propaganda campaign dealt with the promotion of nationalism and the Nazi party. Michael
Balfour quoted Adolf Hitler’s words, “‘Propaganda, propaganda, propaganda. All that matters is

propaganda’” (Balfour, pg. 11). Hitler was huge advocate of propaganda and so was Joseph

Goebbels, his right hand man. As Germany and its army aimed for the Jewish nation, they used

posters to portray Jewish people as non-humans with deformities. Due to Hitler’s and Goebbel’s

beliefs, the Nazi party aimed to destroy Jews, people with abnormalities, their enemies, and anyone

who didn’t fall under the criteria of the perfect race, the Aryan race. The propaganda tactic the

Germans used best showed the type of stereotypical view the Jewish people were compared to Nazi

soldiers. On the other hand, Germany wasn’t the only country that used dehumanizing views against

their enemies. During the war, American propagandist and political cartoonist portrayed the Japanese

as foolish and depraved, or as animals or monsters.

Both countries did not just use posters to influence their nations; they needed a piece of advertisement

that could reach everyone and fast. It had to be something that everyone would see on a regular bases

and also be effective in installing propagandist thoughts. Both Germany and The United States used

the art of film to persuade their countries to participate in the war and movie makers played a big part

in making films that fulfilled these acts of propaganda.

For Germany, Joseph Goebbels was the man who came up with this brilliant idea. Goebbels task was

to create propaganda, so he took his love for film and intertwined it with propaganda to make films

that boggled peoples minds and some might say, “brain washed” the Germans. He believed the best

way to reach the mass population of Germany would be through movies and newsreels. People all

over Germany would go to the theatre to see the newsreels and see what the war was like on the

western front. These movies were perfect for the purpose of the Nazi party because they only showed

select things to help their cause. Herzstein wrote, “The lifelike pictures, the powerful marches, the

songs, the music, and the language are the expression of a new age which was molded by the

boundless will to life of a nation united in National Socialism” (Hitler Won, pg. 225). Once Germans

saw these films they would go and join the army to fight in the war because these films touched their

patriotism and persuaded them into the Nazi party too help aid their country.
The United States also used the power of film development to promote Nationalistic views within

Americans. Before movies in the theaters, newsreels were shown and most of these reels, during the

war, persuaded people to help in the war attempt. During time of war, the governments of the battling

nations need their country men behind them and the use of propaganda to persuade the public to help

in the war is one of the biggest weapons used. How effective was America and Germany and who

had the biggest effect on their countries? Both Germany and America did a very good job in the sense

that they accomplished their goals that they were aiming for with the use of propaganda. Germany

implanted dehumanizing thoughts against the Jewish nation and also created a strong sense of

nationalism. Nazi Germany built up one of the most powerful armies the world has ever seen,

however they weren’t strong enough to withstand the powers of the United States. On the other side

of the coin, The United States was more successful with their campaign of propaganda. Through

propaganda, Americans promoted production so the American army would be supplied sufficiently

and also the American people would have jobs. In the end, The United States and the Allied Powers

won the war, so this shows that they were more effective in their attempt. They built a stronger

feeling of nationalism within the American people which led to a greater will to win.

CONCLUSION

Propaganda is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of a population or a

government toward some cause or position. Propaganda is information that is not impartial and used

primarily to influence an audience and further an agenda, often by presenting facts selectively (thus

possibly lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, to produce an emotional rather than

rational response to the information presented. Propaganda is a powerful weapon in war; it is used to

dehumanize and create hatred toward a supposed enemy, either internal or external, by creating a false
image in the mind. This can be done by using derogatory or racist terms, avoiding some words or by

making allegations of enemy atrocities. Propaganda is also one of the methods used in psychological

warfare, which may also involve false flag operations. The term propaganda may also refer to false

information meant to reinforce the mindsets of people who already believe as the propagandist

wishes. The assumption is that, if people believe something false, they will constantly be assailed by

doubts.

REFERENCES

Allan M. Winkler. The Politics of Propaganda Yale University Press. 1978

Anthony Rhodes. Propaganda, The Art Of Persuasion Chelsea House Publishers. 1976

Clayton D. Laurie. The Propaganda Warriors

Lightbody, Bradley. The Second World War: Ambitions to Nemesis. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis,

2004. ISBN 9780203644584

Michael Balfour. Propaganda in War Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. 1979

Robert Edwin Herztein. The War That Hitler Won Logman Canada Limited. 1978