WW1 Propaganda
“Your Country Needs YOU!”
PROPAGANDA
It was a British Recruitment Slogan, focused on persuading young men to join the army so that they can be more of a “man”.
See poster on Slide 2.
"The war will be over by Christmas."
PROPAGANDA
It was an early optimistic message, that promised families that their children would safely return home.
See poster on Slide 3.
"The assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand triggered WW1."
TRUE
This led to Austria-Hungary striking the first attack which then led to all the European powers to quickly fall into line to defend their alliances, preserve or expand their empires and display their military might and patriotism.
See poster on Slide 4.
"Buy Victory Bonds."
PROPAGANDA
It was used to influence the public to support the war financially by buying government-issued bonds. It encouraged financial support for families as the government promised to repay the money later with interest.
See poster on Slide 5.
"Germany invaded Belgium in 1914."
TRUE
It was all part of Germany's Schlieffen Plan, which aimed to quickly defeat France by initiating a rapid invasion through Belgium in order to outflank French military and capture Paris before turning the tables to defeat Russia, which were expected to mobilize more slowly.
See poster on Slide 6.
“The trenches were muddy and full of rats.”
TRUE
The conditions in the trenches were extremely horrific with soldiers living in mud, facing lice infestations and having to deal with disease and vermin.
See poster on Slide 7.
“The Lusitania was carrying only civilians.”
Hint: Lusitania was a ship.
PROPAGANDA
While the Lusitania was a passenger ship, it was also secretly carrying ammunition and military supplies. Its sinking by a German boat caused outrage and was used to turn the public opinion in the United States against Germany.
See poster on Slide 8.
“The enemy uses children and women as shields.”
PROPAGANDA
This was used to make the enemy seem more barbaric and inhumane. There's not much evidence if these actions were true or not, but it fueled hatred and justified violence.
See poster on Slide 9.
“Food is a weapon, don’t waste it!”
PROPAGANDA
Civilians were encouraged to conserve food to support the soldiers. This was used to influence families to ration their food at home.
See poster on Slide 10.
“Daddy, What Did You Do in the Great War?”
PROPAGANDA
It features a child asking their father what he did during the war, implying that men would be judged by their own children. This also influenced other young men to enlist for the war.
See poster on Slide 11.
“Zeppelins were used to bomb cities during the war.”
Hint: Use your brain there is no hint for this one... 😂
TRUE
Germany used Zeppelins, which were airships to bomb British cities like London. It was one of the first times civilians were targeted from the air.
See poster on Slide 12.
“German soldiers used the bodies of their dead to make soap.”
PROPAGANDA
This was a widely spread lie by British media known as the "Kadaververwertungsanstalt" (a.k.a Kadaver) myth. Even though it was completely fake, it was believed for years and used to make the Germans seem barbaric.
See poster on Slide 13.
“Victory depends on which side lasts longer.”
TRUE
WW1 became a stalemate war, where success relied on endurance rather than fast victories. Leaders knew that the side with more resources, manpower, and food would likely win.
See poster on Slide 14.
"We are saving you - you save food."
PROPAGANDA
This slogan was used by the U.S. Food Administration to push families at home to conserve their food. It portrayed that wasting food would be the same as helping the enemy win.
See poster on Slide 15.
“Millions of animals served during World War I.”
TRUE
Over 8 million horses and countless dogs and pigeons were used for transport, communication, and support. Many animals died alongside soldiers, and they were essential to war statistics.
See poster on Slide 16.
“Turn Your Silver into Bullets at the Post Office.”
PROPAGANDA
This British poster urged civilians to donate silver, coins or jewelry at the post office in exchange for war loan vouchers. This directly funded the war and supported soldiers in need of artillery/weapons.
See poster on Slide 17.
“Save Your Coal to Fire the Kaiser."
PROPAGANDA
This American/British-style poster urged families to conserve coal, linking household saving directly to underpowering German forces.
See poster on Slide 18.
“Save a loaf a week to help win the war.”
PROPAGANDA
It was created by the Ministry of Food to encourage civilians to conserve their bread, especially wheat bread, which was in high demand to feed soldiers and allies overseas.
See poster on Slide 19.
“Soldiers in WWI sometimes stopped fighting and exchanged gifts during Christmas.”
TRUE
During the unofficial Christmas Truce of 1914, British and German soldiers along parts of the Western Front sang carols, buried their dead, and even played football in no man’s land.
See poster on Slide 20.
“Soldiers with shell shock were executed for cowardice.”
PROPAGANDA
Hundreds of British soldiers suffering from what we now call PTSD were executed, since mental trauma was misunderstood and seen as desertion or weakness.
See poster on Slide 21.
“Over one million Indian soldiers served in World War I.”
TRUE
More than 1.3 million soldiers from British India served on the Western Front, Middle East, and Africa. They played a major role in the imperial war effort and suffered heavy casualties.
See poster on Slide 22.
"Loose talk can cost lives."
PROPAGANDA
This British poster slogan urged civilians to avoid careless talk that might help enemy spies, emphasizing that secrecy was an important part of the war in order to safely protect the soldiers.
See poster on Slide 23.
“Even the Rats Abandoned the Trenches Before the Men Did.”
TRUE
Soldiers reported that rats could sense shellfire before it happened and often ran just before it exploded. It's a shocking fact, often written in personal diaries.
See poster on Slide 24.
"Books Wanted for Men in camp."
PROPAGANDA
It was used in U.S. library campaigns during WWI, to promote book donations to educate and inspire military troops on other forms of offense/defense or to cure their boredom.
See poster on Slide 25.
"Help save the Belgium Babies."
PROPAGANDA
It was a British fundraising poster showing starving Belgian children, designed to raise funds and demonize German actions in Belgium.
See poster on Slide 26.