Propaganda During WWI essays

Propaganda During WWI essays Propaganda is a term used to describe the deliberate spreading of ideas and rumors in order to gain what one wants. It is most commonly used by governments and big businesses in order to get the public to believe what they desire. There was a great deal of propaganda taking place in the United States during its involvement in the first World War. (Miller, 47) In 1917, Woodrow Wilson set up the Committee on Public Information in the U.S. The goal of this committee was to get the rest of the world to believe in America's capabilities at the time. Part of the propaganda being spread at this time was anti-German. This led to the removal of all things German from American culture. Art created by German Artists was taken down from museums, and music from Germany by composers such as Bach, and Beethoven was seldom heard. This committee was responsible for creating movies and literature that influenced many against the Germans during the first world war. Movies like "The Beast of Berlin" and "To Hell with the Kaiser" were specifically fabricated by the government and were received with widespread popularity among the American citizens. This made life difficult for many people of german heritage living in the U.S. at this time. They faced a great deal of negativity from the people who were being conditioned to dislike all of Germany, even its f ood. Propaganda was put into action by the government to help justify its attack on Germany which brought the United States into the war. The country could not successfully fight unless it got its people and other countries to support its cause. The way the government was dealing with opposers to its beliefs during this time was harsh. Those suspected of treason were dealt with immediately to prevent a possible spread of radical ideas that could lead to an uprising. The country was strong during this period but not as strong as it wanted to be in order to secure itself. The Americans also educate...