WWII Propaganda for the Public

For the United States of America, World War II was a very troubling and indecisive war. Roosevelt faced dead-end dilemmas regarding British policies and relations with the Japanese and Chinese could not have proceeded more ambiguously. However, one of the most troublesome aspect of World War II was the power of the public. Whenever the president needed to make a decision, he was always forced to compromise with public opinion by being careful not to provoke them in the wrong way. As a practical method of convincing the American people to follow their leader into war, Roosevelt issued stirring propaganda. Propaganda for World War II could be classified into six main categories.

Breeding Hatred for the Enemy

 

Posters like these largely inflated anti-Axis sentiments in America and led to more Americans in support for war involvement. Through the Office of War Information (OWI), Roosevelt instructed painters, printers, cartoonists, etc to demonize Hitler and the Japanese in their publications. Like these show, propaganda posters succeeded in personalizing World War II for Americans because Hitler stepping on the White House or preying greedily on "our homes" meant that this was not just a distant European problem. 

Encouraging Portrayal of Allies 

  

These types of propaganda glorified the idea of fighting alongside Britain and the rest of the Allied countries. Roosevelt hoped that through portrayal of foreign allies, he could prove to the American citizens that we were all in this together to save democratic ideals in the world. He encouraged them to think of World War II beyond their personal or national scale and presented it as a bigger international issue they had to face.

The Need to Work 

 

Through propaganda that urged Americans to start working for the war, Roosevelt gained support for the war itself. America had just experienced the worst depression in its country's history and that also propelled people's willingness to get back to full work mode. By the 1940s, working was advertised to both men and women. Although workers in the industry were initially reluctant to mass produce weapons, it could be said that propaganda like the ones above greatly helped them overcome that dilemma. 

Enlisting Soldiers

 

Enlistment posters were perhaps the most important out of the six types of propaganda. As matters with Britain's shipping escorts leaned towards the need for American men, Roosevelt urged enlistment for anyone eligible. By making it sound appealing like "choose your own branch of the service", more and more men applied to become a soldier. The second poster here portrays the navy seal as courageous and admirable, even getting attention from his significant other. 

Call to Sacrifice Luxury 

 

This was an especially important type of propaganda as the war progressed. From "To the Brink" chapter in Freedom from Fear, we learn that England is short of money although they were still desperate for supplies from America. This meant that America had to pay for the war when England's money supply exhausted. With this fear turning into a reality, Roosevelt advised American citizens to conserve any resources they used for themselves. 

Fight for America and Democracy

 

Finally, there were of course propaganda encouraging American unison for one common purpose: winning the war. These kinds of posters often included the American flag somewhere and illustrated ideals that were historically important to any Americans. By pointing out that they were fighting for democracy, equality, etc, Roosevelt pulled the public to his side. 

The use of propaganda controlled by the OWI eliminated some of the stress on President Roosevelt. The devastation of World War I had left most Americans unwilling to cooperate with him in the effort of war. Therefore, propaganda became ever-more crucial to unite the nation in preparation for the next world war. 

Sources:

http://www.nationalww2museum.org/learn/education/for-students/ww2-history/at-a-glance/propaganda-posters.html?referrer=https://www.google.com/

https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/world-war-ii/essays/every-citizen-soldier-world-war-ii-posters-american-home-front