World War Ii S Secret Weapon

WORLD WAR II'S SECRET WEAPON

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Introduction

World War II sent men overseas and women to the factories of America to work the

jobs men left behind. There was a general feeling that every American wanted to contribute

to the war. Men were willing to fight, while the women were willing to work, the population

was happy to ration food and war bonds purchased in large volumes. The question now

arises, how did the United States get what seemed like every American citizen to contribute

to the war effort in one way or another? The answer is a lot of propaganda. Propaganda is

information of a misleading or biased nature used to promote or publicize a particular

political cause or point of view

In the case of the World War II, the American government was using propaganda to

get every citizen on board with the war. There were posters on every lamppost that read

things such as "help the troops, buy war bonds". It was on the radio, TV shows and even

Donald Duck contributed to the propaganda.

Japanese Relocation is a 1942 short film narrated by Milton Eisenhower and produced

by the United States Office of War Information. The distribution was by the War Activities

Committee of the motion picture industry

. It is a propaganda film, explaining and justifying

the Japanese American internment on the West coast during World War II. The film asserts

that the Japanese-Americans were loyal and in 1942, the west coast was a potential combat

zone, and the government did not know what the Japanese population would do if the United

States faced invasion. The film goes on to note that there were Japanese-American

communities near significant military sites like shipyards.

F. Capra, "Why We Fight 1: Prelude to War," 100 Documentary Films, 2009, 241, doi:10.1007/978-

1-84457-551-0_100.

Capra, " Why We Fight 1," 242

The Japanese-Americans were democratically and humanely evacuated to relocation

centres in the desert and the film goes on to note that most Japanese did so voluntarily since

they felt that it was a sacrifice they should make as loyal citizens. Propaganda as a war tool

used to promote or publicise a particular cause or point of view.

Propaganda as a war tool

In the World War II, some measures taken and atrocities committed which today

difficulty comprehending. Many leaders across the globe considered the cinema a powerful

tool for propaganda, and every major power in the war owned a respectable film industry.

The propaganda films are for evoking a wide range of emotions such as hatred, sympathy,

and excitement and sparking a revolution to breeding indifferences towards atrocities or

inspiring awe

. Propaganda was most prevalent in the Hollywood movies produced during

the World War II. The movies contained propaganda themes that focused on influencing the

American population and their view of the war. The themes motivated the troops to fight and

spread hatred of the Nazis and the Japanese.

The propaganda had six main themes that included; the nature of the enemy, the

nature of allies, the need to work, the need to fight, the need to sacrifice, and the American-

What we are fighting for

. Hollywood used these themes with well-known actors such as

Cary Grant to influence the American population.

The Nature of the Enemy

The most common propaganda used in the film Japanese Relocation was the nature of

the enemy. Stereotypes of the Japanese spread racism and hatred for the enemy. The

"Blackout: World War II and the origins of film noir," Choice Reviews Online 43, no. 08 (2006): 45,

doi:10.5860/choice.43-4557

" World War II and the origins of film noir," 49

characters in the movie used offensive language, which made the Americans hate the enemy

hence, were willing to do anything to help the United States defeat the enemy.

It is important to note that in movies such as Thirty-Second over Tokyo and

Destination Tokyo the Japanese referred to as "Japs" throughout the films

. The term was

used casually, but it was not how it was said but the number of times it was said and the

underlying racism that is accompanied by it. The Americans started referring to the Japanese

as "Japs" whether they were the enemy or the innocent Japanese-American.

The Japanese-Americans were forced into internment camps for the duration of the

war since they were presumed to be spies for the Japanese Empire. This is a clear indication

of how much fear and hatred the propaganda instilled in Americans. The Japanese were not

the only enemy targeted in American propaganda films. The Nazis were depicted as

controlling and power hungry. The goal of the propaganda aimed at the Nazis was different

from the one aimed at the Japanese. The purpose of the Japanese propaganda was to spread

racism and make the American population hate Japanese. As for the Nazis, the goal of the

propaganda was to make them look brutal and controlling so that the Americans could feel

sorry for the innocent Germans that were not Nazis

The nature of the enemy theme was extremely effective in rallying the Americans

behind the war since it made them want to defeat the Japanese as they considered them to be

improper people and made them want to beat the Nazis because they were controlling and

brainwashing the innocent Germans.

The Nature of our Allies

M. L. Dudziak, "Death and the War Power," SSRN Electronic Journal, 2017, 34,

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3004292.

"Every citizen a soldier: the campaign for universal military training after World War II," Choice

Reviews Online 52, no. 05 (2014): 47, doi:10.5860/choice.187157

The goal of this theme was to unite Americans to their allies of Britain, Russia, and

China. The United States government wanted Americans to feel a sense of unity with the

allies. The Americans believed that all the partners were more than willing to help the United

States win the war

. The United States wanted the people to think of the battle as the Allies vs

the Axis and not United States vs. Japan and Germany. The goal was to make people believe

that the allies were working together there was no way that the countries could lose.

The Need to Work

The need to work was the propaganda that focused on the American women. The

theme the need to work showed women that they can help in the war effort by working the

factory jobs that the men who went overseas to fight left behind. The government wanted as

many women as possible to work in factories to ensure that the materials needed for war

could be made rapidly. The United States knew that without the women working in factories,

manufacturing of goods and weapons would not have been achieved. The United States

focused a lot of time and money to encourage women to work because without them winning

the war would have been difficult.

Women in defence was a short film produced by the office of emergency management

and were written by first lady Eleanor Roosevelt and narrated by popular actor Katharine

Hepburn. The goal of this film was to show women that they had a role to play in the war

effort. The film had such phrases as ‘Every woman has an important place in the national

defence program, in science, in the industry and the home and ‘women should be asking what

I can do to help"

. The films made women feel crucial than ever since they realised that they

could make a difference.

Dudziak, " Death and the War Power," 41

“the campaign for universal military," 51.

Rosie the Riveter considered a cultural icon of World War II as she represents the

women who worked in factories and shipyards during the war producing munitions and war

supplies. She became the subject and title of a song and a Hollywood movie during World

War II. She inspired a social movement that led to the increase in the number of working

American women by 1944.

The Need to fight

The need to fight was the most crucial propaganda theme. The men had to be willing

to risk their lives fighting overseas to defeat the Axis powers. Although there was a draft and

the government forced men to go to war, it was easier to win when the troops voluntarily

decided to fight for their country and believe in what they were fighting

The goal of this type of propaganda was to show men and the Americans in general

that the country had faced challenges before, but the nation had overcome those challenges

and achieved great things in the aftermath. Soldiers got convinced that they were fighting for

freedom, equality, and democracy. The government wanted the troops to think they were

fighting for more than just defeating the enemy. Without the propaganda and this theme, in

particular, millions of men would not have enlisted in the army, and this would have led to

more men to be drafted, which could bring about lower approval rating for the war.

The Need to Sacrifice

The government made Americans realise that by sacrificing, they were helping the

war efforts; this led to the Americans on the Home front rationing food and going without

luxuries. There were slogans such as "help our men, ration your food"

. To win the war, they

"Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History," The Grants Register 2018, 2018, 348,

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-94186-5_519

P. S. Kindsvatter, "William A. Taylor.Every Citizen a Soldier: The Campaign for Universal

Military Training after World War II," The American Historical Review 120, no. 4 (2015): 11,

doi:10.1093/ahr/120.4.1516.

sacrificed foods such as butter, meat, cheese, jams and fruits and luxuries such as bicycles

and typewriters.

People became accustomed to the rationing and no longer minded doing so. They

knew that it was helping with the war effort. Factories that generally were not used for

military needs manufactured goods for the war. This propaganda for rationing was not intense

as the other themes, and though the government put the time into the propaganda, there was,

less time and money allocated compared to the other themes

The Americans-What we are fighting for

This was the last propaganda theme used by the government during the World War II.

Its goal was to remind Americans that the United States was fighting for more than just

victory but the four freedoms, democracy, the principles of the Atlantic Charter, and an end

to discrimination. The theme of the family was also to remind troops that they were fighting

for their children and wives back home in America. The government wanted to play on the

troop's sensitive side and tell them that they were fighting for their children's future. The

primary goal of this propaganda was to boost the troop's morale and keep them believing in

what they were fighting for. Without the high confidence, the war may have swayed in favour

of the Axis powers, and it could be a different world.

Media types used

The United States had propaganda I just about every aspect of the media except for

television since they weren't popular in households until 1950. The media types commonly

used included radio, posters, leaflets, books, comic books, movies, magazines and

newspapers. Posters extensively used for propaganda during the World War II, and there

Kindsvatter, " The Campaign for Universal," 17

were over 200000 poster designs that had been created and printed during the war. The

posters mostly had a positive message, and the designers not compensated for their work

Leaflets were a vital aspect in the spreading of propaganda since they were used to

reach the population in the rural areas. Planes used to drop them over these areas. A B-17

bomber group had been set aside for the distribution of the leaflets. They were also

distributed to enemy troops who could use them to surrender. After the atomic bombing, the

United States used them to convey a message that they were working on a more powerful

bomb to which they would use if the need arose.

Radio was likely the most widely used form of propaganda during World War II. The

favourite war-themed shows during the periods were this is war is our secret weapon, which

was a show that listened to Axis broadcast signals, discussed the most entertaining lies of the

week, and the fireside chat, which was a radio show-featuring president Roosevelt.

Lasting impact

Propaganda was widely used during World War II. It meant to influence people’s

thoughts and actions, and it accomplished this. Whether one agrees with the use of

propaganda or not it is hard to argue with its effectiveness during World War II

. It created

hate for the enemy, empowered women to work in factories, brought out the bravery and

courage in men, formed the unity between allies, convinced people to ration and made troops

believe in what they were fighting for. The propaganda became a weapon during this period,

and its effectiveness was indisputable. In no other war had the use of propaganda been so

efficient. It can be said to have helped and may have swayed the war in the allies favour.

C. R. Koppes and G. D. Black, Hollywood goes to war: How politics, profits, and propaganda

shaped World War II movies (Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1990), 69.

S. G. Marshall, "Capra, Frank (1897-1991), filmmaker," American National Biography Online,

2000, 100, doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1803312

During the war, the propaganda created an atmosphere in America that had not been matched.

Most Americans supported the war and were willing to do whatever it took to win the war.

Having more people backing the war led to increased enlistment, increased production of war

materials and improved morale.

Propaganda was a secret weapon for the United States and so much time, and effort

assigned to it that it became just as important as the tank

. Propaganda took on a life of its

own, and without it, the outcome of the world would have been different since it made a

difference on the home front and it made a difference to the troop's morale. Those two things

are the important aspect of any war, and this leads to the conclusion that propaganda was a

vital weapon in the war that may or may not have changed the course of history.

"Propaganda Posters: World War II," Encyclopedia of War & American Society(n.d.), 74,

doi:10.4135/9781412952460.n226.

Bibliography

"Blackout: World War II and the origins of film noir." Choice Reviews Online 43, no. 08

(2006), 43-4557-43-4557. doi:10.5860/choice.43-4557.

Capra, F. "Why We Fight 1: Prelude to War." 100 Documentary Films, 2009, 241-242.

doi:10.1007/978-1-84457-551-0_100.

Dudziak, M. L. "Death and the War Power." SSRN Electronic Journal, 2017.

doi:10.2139/ssrn.3004292.

"Every citizen a soldier: the campaign for universal military training after World War II."

Choice Reviews Online 52, no. 05 (2014), 52-2755-52-2755.

doi:10.5860/choice.187157.

"Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History." The Grants Register 2018, 2018, 348-348.

doi:10.1007/978-1-349-94186-5_519.

Kindsvatter, P. S. "William A. Taylor.Every Citizen a Soldier: The Campaign for Universal

Military Training after World War II." The American Historical Review 120, no. 4

(2015), 1516.1-1516. doi:10.1093/ahr/120.4.1516.

Koppes, C. R., and G. D. Black. Hollywood goes to war: How politics, profits, and

propaganda shaped World War II movies. Berkeley: Univ. of California Press, 1990.

Marshall, S. G. "Capra, Frank (1897-1991), filmmaker." American National Biography

Online, 2000. doi:10.1093/anb/9780198606697.article.1803312.

Monte-Sano, C. "The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History,

http://www.gilderlehrman.org. Created by Thirteen/WNET and the Gilder Lehrman

Institute of American History. Maintained by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of

American History, New York, N.Y. Reviewed Jan. 1-7, 2008." Journal of American

History 95, no. 4 (2009), 1256-1258. doi:10.2307/27694720.

"Propaganda Posters: World War II." Encyclopedia of War & American Society (n.d.).

doi:10.4135/9781412952460.n226.

"ReFocus: The Films of Delmer Daves." Edinburgh University Press, 2017.

doi:10.3366/edinburgh/9781474403016.001.0001.

Slyfield, C. O. "Film Conservation Methods at Walt Disney Productions*." Journal of the

Society of Motion Picture Engineers 41, no. 11 (1943), 457-458. doi:10.5594/j09804.

"Thirty Seconds over America." Ostinato Vamps (n.d.), 13-13. doi:10.2307/j.ctt9qh82r.11.

Weinberg, G. L. "The Place of World War II in Global History." A Companion to World

War II, 2012, 999-1012. doi:10.1002/9781118325018.ch58.

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