World War I

Analyzing Propaganda

WHAT IS PROPOGANDA: A general definition of propaganda is information favoring only one side. Individuals who use propaganda are attempting to sway public opinion to justify their position. During World War I, all governments issued many kinds of propaganda in order to persuade people to make sacrifices for the war.

Adolf Hitler said in his book, Mein Kampf, “All effective propaganda must be confined to a few bare essentials, and those must be expressed as far as possible in stereotyped formulas.”

DIRECTIONS:

1. Look carefully at the propaganda poster in front of you. Notice the detail of the picture.
2. On a separate piece of paper write the names of those in your group and your class period.
3. Answer the following questions in complete sentences

QUESTIONS:

• What is the # in the top left corner of your poster?
• From which country is your propaganda poster?
• Are there any written words? If so, what does the poster say? (If it is in a foreign language, look for the translation which should be near the title.)
• To who is the message on the poster directed?
• Who is sending the message?
• What is the purpose of the poster AND what is its message?
• Are there figures on the poster? If so, who are they and who do they represent?
• What emotions is your poster trying to bring out in its reader? How should the viewer feel after seeing the poster?