A look at the propaganda used on the Home Front during WWII: Movies, Music, Cartoons, and other forms.

1. World War II
Propaganda
The Home Front

2. World War II Propaganda
O During World War II propaganda was a
tool used by many of the great powers
involved in the War. Propaganda came in
many forms be it through the newspapers,
magazines, radio broadcasts, movies,
posters and cartoons. This is a small
sample of what was found.

3. The Beginning
O Infamy
O President Franklin Delano
Roosevelt's choice of words
in his declaration of war
speech were designed to
make the burning fire to take
action even hotter. He
actually changed the wording
of the speech opting for the
word infamy as it sounded
stronger than the initial
words in history. FDR also O http://www.presidency.ucsb.ed
carefully selected the word u/mediaplay.php?id=16053&ad
“dastardly” to describe the min=32
attack.

4. Posters
O Posters were the most popular form of propaganda used in
the United States during World War II. Posters were used in
different ways and with different meanings. Posters were used
to encourage enlistment by men and women; they were used
to encourage conservation of materials at home; they were
used to warn against open talk for "loose lips sank ships" and
one could never be sure of who was listening; finally one of
the most used themes of propaganda posters, encouraged
Americans to purchase "War Bonds." Mainly posters were
used to inspire patriotism, courage, honor, and duty to
country, especially before the tide of the war had turned in
favor of the United States and its allies. Propaganda posters
were found just about everywhere; stores, Post Offices, movie
theaters, restaurants, government buildings, train stations,
schools, and even in the windows of peoples homes.

5. Volunteerism

6. Volunteerism

7. National Pride

8. National Pride
O This poster of
“Rosie the Riveter”
was aimed at
getting women into
the workforce to
support their
fighting husbands,
brothers, and sons
overseas.

9. Security

10. Security

11. War Bonds
O The concept of War
Bonds was that in
buying Americans
were investing in
their security now
and ultimately their
future.

12. War Bonds

13. Victory Gardens
O During World War
II, Americans planted
“victory gardens,” in
which they grew their
own food.
O By 1945, some 20
million such gardens
were in use and
accounted for about 40
percent of all
vegetables consumed in
the U.S.

14. Music
O U.S. soldiers, sailors, and airmen had regular access to
radio in all but the most difficult combat situations, and
not only did soldiers know specific songs, but specific
recordings. This gave a nature to American troops music
during WWII, not as much songs sung around a fire or
while marching, but listened to between combat on
Armed Forces Radio.
O WWII was the first conflict to take place in the age of
electronically mass distributed music through record
sales and radio airplay. WWII was a unique situation for
music and its relationship to warfare. This was the first
time it was possible for not only single songs but also
single recordings of songs to be so widely distributed to
the population. With Americans listening to the radio
nightly for news from overseas music took off like never
before and many songs carried a message.

15. Music
O Some of the most popular O Glenn Miller
songs of the era included:
O Don't Sit Under The Apple Tree
(The Andrews Sisters)
O Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy (The
Andrews Sisters)
O Remember Pearl Harbor
(Sammy Kaye)
O American Patrol (The Glenn
Miller Orchestra)
O Praise the Lord and Pass the
Ammunition (Kay Kyser
Orchestra)
O Sentimental Journey (Les brown
Orchestra w/Doris Day)

16. Music
O During World II Music was
strong not only as O The Andrews Sisters
propaganda but also for
morale. Songs could lift spirits
and invoke national pride. An
anthem for the day was "Don't
Sit Under the Apple Tree"
which was a call from the
soldiers on the front lines and
the girls back home to stay
true to each other. Made
famous by the Andrews
Sisters, it is performed here
by the Glenn Miller Orchestra.
O http://www.6thcorpsmusic.us/

17. Magazines and Newspapers
O During World War II radio, newspapers, and
magazines were the primary sources of
information for the American public. Magazine and
newspapers were integral in creating the image of
the enemy being fought as evil aggressors.
Magazines were an especially popular propaganda
tool because of their wide circulation and favor
with American housewives. Unlike the media of
today newspapers were more inline with telling the
news and not creating the story. Newspapers also
worked with the military to keep any items from
print which might help the enemy cause.

18. Magazines and Newspapers

19. A Thousand Words
O The phrase "A
picture is worth a
thousand words"
carried a great deal
of weight with
magazines and
newspapers. The
pictures they chose
boosted morale on
the home front. O P-40 Warhawk of the Flying Tigers

20. A Thousand Words
O Doolittle's raiders who launched O Doolittle's Raiders B-25's on USS
the first strike against mainland Hornet
Japan in 1942

21. A Thousand Words
O Japanese carrier burning at the O American GI's manning their guns
Battle of Midway at Saipan

22. A Thousand Words
O The raising of the American flag by Marines on Mt. Suribachi at Iwo Jima
came to signify everything American to the people back home

23. Movies and Cartoons
O In the era before
television, Movies
and cartoons were a
great escape for the
American people.
They were often
patriotic, funny, or
irreverent, and quite
frequently mocked
the enemy in the
process. O Bugs Bunny cartoon from the
1940’s

24. Movies and Cartoons
O In this Disney
Cartoon titled Der
Fuehrer’s Face,
Donald Duck has a
nightmare about
being a citizen of
Nazi Germany.

25. Movies and Cartoons
O In World War II Casablanca, Rick
Blaine, exiled American and former
freedom fighter, runs the most
popular nightspot in town. The
cynical lone wolf Blaine comes into
the possession of two valuable
letters of transit. When Nazi Major
Strasser arrives in Casablanca, the
sycophantic police Captain Renault
does what he can to please
him, including detaining a
Czechoslovak underground leader
Victor Laszlo. Much to Rick's
surprise, Lazslo arrives with
Ilsa, Rick's one time love. Rick is
very bitter towards Ilsa, who ran out
on him in Paris, but when he learns
she had good reason to, they plan to
run off together again using the
letters of transit. Well, that was their
original plan....

26. Movies and Cartoons
O Based on a true story,
Flying Tigers, starring
American favorite John
Wayne as fictional
Captain Jim Gordon,
dramatized the exploits
of Americans already
fighting the enemy in
the Pacific. It was
unabashedly a
propaganda film that
was well received by a
populace looking for a
"flag-waver."

27. Normalcy
O Throughout the war the one thing the people at home and the men and women on
land and at sea wanted to keep was a sense of normalcy in their lives during this
tumultuous time. Holidays, especially Christmas, were the time when they most
aimed for this goal.