Techniques used in WWI Propaganda

The above video shows different examples of posters used by Britain and France in World War one.

Propaganda is ideas, information or rumours spread to influence people to believe or act a certain way. Propaganda posters in WWI used many techniques to influence men by appealing to their emotions of persuasion, fear, guilt, confrontation and accusation and were designed to be advertising and appealing.

These strategies included:

• Emphasizing on the means of patriotism, making men feel like they should be proud to protect their country with their own strength;
• Creating an exaggeration of hatred and fear towards the Germans;
• Making those who were not enlisting feel cowardly;
• Emphasizing the sense of masculinity and bravery in the armies;
• And glorifying army life, making the men feel as though recruiting was a great adventure all should embark on.

Because the government was very clever in the ways they presented the war, many men enlisted in the army, until later on, when the truth of war hardship was uncovered.