World War 2 Propaganda - Revision history

ThePlaz: remove draft

2008-05-16T03:01:23Z

remove draft

ThePlaz: 8th and final draft - update citations

2008-05-16T02:59:42Z

8th and final draft - update citations

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ThePlaz: 7 (actually) th draft - from text revision

2008-05-15T02:44:36Z

7 (actually) th draft - from text revision

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ThePlaz: 6th draft - from paper revision

2008-05-14T03:15:25Z

6th draft - from paper revision

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ThePlaz: 5th draft writen today adding victory gardens and a short, weak closing

2008-05-11T17:53:22Z

5th draft writen today adding victory gardens and a short, weak closing

ThePlaz: 4th draft; add a page and a half from the home front bio book

2008-05-11T02:41:24Z

4th draft; add a page and a half from the home front bio book

ThePlaz: post actual outline

2008-05-11T01:28:44Z

post actual outline

ThePlaz: 3rd draft from like a week ago

2008-05-09T23:49:28Z

3rd draft from like a week ago

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ThePlaz: link to doc files

2008-04-28T00:04:17Z

link to doc files

ThePlaz: post 1st draft

2008-04-27T23:53:09Z

post 1st draft

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 [[American Studies]] [[Research Paper]]
 {{word|Image:World War 2 Propaganda.doc}}
 {{Tan Message|See Word .doc version for endnote citations}}

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 The BMP also produced documentary films for showings at schools, churches, and other community programs.<sup> </sup>  Films like ''Why We Fight'' and ''Autobiography of a Jeep'' explained the war effort to the American people.<sup> </sup>  The OWI also produced 52 short films titled ''American Speaks''.<sup> </sup>  About half of the films were written by OWI staff while Hollywood screenwriters wrote the other half.<sup> </sup>  By January of 1943, 4.7 million people had watched 31,000 showings of BWI films.<sup> </sup>
-Victory Gardens - http://www.victoryseeds.com/TheVictoryGarden/page2.html
+In order to save food for the troops, and keep prices down, the government encouraged people to plant "victory gardens."<sup> </sup>  Victory gardens were vegetable gardens planted in people<nowiki>’</nowiki>s backyards, vacant lots, parks, schoolyards, and even baseball fields.<sup> </sup>  Almost 20 million Americans were involved in the maintenance of a victory garden; the gardens produced up to 40% of the food for American consumption.<sup> </sup>  In order to encouraging the planting of victory gardens, the OWI printed posters encouraging victory gardening.<sup> </sup> The gardens were presented as a communal affair and a civic duty.<sup> </sup>  In addition magazines like ''Good Housekeeping'' and ''Better Home & Gardens'', seed companies and the government published pamphlets and instruction manuals for those who had no experience with gardening.<sup> </sup> A good sized garden was supposed to feed a family for the summer, with the excess canned using home canning equipment.<sup> </sup>
-Photographs
+During World War II the government and private industry went all out for the war.  They organized information campaigns in order to maximize production of needed war goods and minimize the home front<nowiki>’</nowiki>s use of goods.  In addition the campaigns told Americans why they were fighting and kept morale up by providing distractions. They provided this information through a variety of mediums, most notably posters and movies. However, the information campaigns did not last long.  Many were shut or curtailed as the US was wining the war because Congress did not like how close the government or industry was working together or though that the advertisements were too political.

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 As the United States entered World War II, the American government needed to make sure the entire country was marching in step with the war effort.  The government created the Office of War Information (OWI) in order to coordinate the propaganda created for Americans.  What it was involved in… In addition to the official government agency, many private companies reassigned their advertising departments to produce propaganda to help the war effort, especially to increase production at the nations<nowiki>’</nowiki> firms.  In fact, some of the most memorable propaganda was not produced by the government. The subject of most of the propaganda was to mobile the home front, and to communicate why we were fighting this war.  For many years before the United States<nowiki>’</nowiki> entry into World War 2, the United States was an isolationist nation.
-With Executive Order 9182, he created the Office of War Information, consolidating different agencies in order to "dissemination of general public information on the war effort."<sup> </sup>  FDR appointed Elmer Davis to head the new agency tasked with coordinating the press, radio and film industries into selling the war to the American people.<sup> </sup>  The agency had 2 purposes: glorify the war and tell the Americans at home why their sacrifices were necessary.<sup> </sup>  At first the agency tried to truthfully represent the war, but later moved onto present slanted works filled with stereotypes of the enemy.<sup> </sup> The OWI gathered data and controlled the release of news to the American people, emphasizing the importance of the war and why we needed to win.
+Before 1942, the government split the task of providing information to the public between many different agencies: the Office of Facts and Figures, the Office of Government Reports, the Office of Emergency Management<nowiki>’</nowiki>s Department of Information, and the Office of Co-Ordinator of Information.<sup> </sup>  On June 13, 1942, Franklin D. Roosevelt created the Office of War Information, consolidating different agencies in order to "dissemination of general public information on the war effort."<sup> </sup>  FDR appointed Elmer Davis to head the new agency tasked with coordinating the press, radio and film industries into selling the war to the American people.<sup> </sup>  The agency had 2 purposes: glorify the war and tell the Americans at home why their sacrifices were necessary.<sup> </sup>  At first the agency tried to truthfully represent the war, but later moved onto present slanted works filled with stereotypes of the enemy.<sup> </sup> The OWI gathered data and controlled the release of news to the American people, emphasizing the importance of the war and why we needed to win.  The agency had an annual budget of $25 million and employed 30,000 people.<sup> </sup>
-To start with, Frank Capra<nowiki>’</nowiki>s films ''Why We Fight'' gives background on the war and warns of the danger of the imperialistic Axis.  The movie starts by presenting the United States as the "free world" which has a long history of freedom set by religious and political documents.<sup> </sup>  It then contrasts this with a world of slavery lead by a "rabble-rouser," Hitler, who is out for his selfish interests.<sup> </sup>   The people in this slave world gave up their individualism to allow their governments to pursue imperialistic pursuits.<sup> </sup> In addition the governments of these countries controlled all of the news sources and filled them with propaganda.<sup> </sup>  However it does not mention that the US government was similarly controlling public information. (made it up to 17 min – use more if needed) – read bio
+The OWI was not without problems however.  The OWI had to fight with military leaders who did not like the work the OWI was doing.<sup> </sup>  In addition many later accused the OWI of harboring Communists, perhaps because of its connection with Hollywood or the fact that its leader, Elmer Davis, spoke out against McCarthyism.<sup> </sup>  In addition many Congressmen thought that the OWI was too pro-Roosevelt especially with the 1944 election approaching.<sup> </sup>  In 1943, Congress cut the OWI<nowiki>’</nowiki>s funding, stopping most of its programs on the home front.<sup> </sup>
 Wartime posters tried to use the advertising techniques of the time to sell the idea that the factory and home were also arenas of the war and the factory workers and families were vital to the war<nowiki>’</nowiki>s success.<sup> </sup> They tried to explain to the people why their sacrifices of consumer goods were necessary as well as try to create a culture which would help the war.  For example the government reminded soldiers that "loose lips sink ships," as the enemy was just around the corner.<sup> </sup>
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 The OWI also had the responsibility of reviewing the government<nowiki>’</nowiki>s posters.<sup> </sup>  At first the two groups clashed over the poster designs.  One group liked the "war art" style featuring stylized symbols and images.<sup> </sup>  Francis Brennan, who was the former art director of ''Fortune Magazine ''wanted posters to combine the sophisticated style of contemporary art with the promotion of war aims.<sup> </sup> For example, "Strong in the Strength of the Lord", used artwork combined with an abstract message of supporting "the cause".<sup> </sup>  Another group, which had worked in the advertising industry, wanted the government<nowiki>’</nowiki>s posters to be more like advertisements.  These posters tried to combine the messages of sacrifice with the smiling faces and carefree households found in advertising.<sup> </sup>
-The government also sought to control Hollywood and the movie industry.  Before the war, the government was trying to get Hollywood to cut back on the interventionalist tone of movies, since the government was trying to play an isolationist role.<sup> </sup>  However after the war started, the OWI guided the movie industry in glorifying the war, the men who served in it, and the American home front which supported the troops.<sup> </sup>
+The government also sought to control Hollywood and the movie industry.  Before the war, the government was trying to get Hollywood to cut back on the interventionalist tone of movies, since the government was trying to play an isolationist role.<sup> </sup>  However after the war started, the OWI guided the movie industry in glorifying the war, the men who served in it, and the American home front which supported the troops.<sup> </sup>  The OWI created the Bureau of Motion Pictures (BMP) which had offices in Washington, D.C., New York and Los Angeles.<sup> </sup>
 At the start of the war, the OWI asked filmmakers to think about 7 questions as they made movies:
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 * When the picture reaches its maximum circulation on the screen, will it reflect conditions as they are and fill a need current at that time, or will it be out-dated?
 * Does the picture tell the truth or will the young people of today have reason to say they were misled by propaganda?<sup> </sup>
-The OWI at the start of the war wanted to represent the war truthfully.<sup> </sup>  Thus, the last question was important for them.<sup> </sup>  However, as the war became bogged down, the OWI instructed Hollywood to produce more symbolic and one-sided films.<sup> </sup>
+The OWI at the start of the war wanted to represent the war truthfully.<sup> </sup>  Thus, the last question was important for them.<sup> </sup>  However, as the war became bogged down, the OWI instructed Hollywood to produce more symbolic and one-sided films.<sup> </sup>  The BMP reviewed over 1,650 movie scripts during the war.<sup> </sup>  The recommendations ranged from adding a few lines of inspirational dialogue to recommending that the movie be withheld until after the war.<sup> </sup>
 Hollywood also helped to boost morale in America with movies portraying idealistic middle class families who managed well through the pressures of family, working, and rations.<sup> </sup> Movies such as ''Joe Smith, American ''portrayed hardworking Americans doing their duty by working and not leaking secrets to the enemy. <sup> </sup>
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 Americans in the Gilded Age followed Hollywood celebrities and yearned to be like them.  Hollywood celebrities supported the war by putting on USO shows, or even enlisting in the military.<sup> </sup>  Others appeared in advertisements and publicity tours to sell war bonds, promote scrap drives.<sup> </sup>
 Victory Gardens - http://www.victoryseeds.com/TheVictoryGarden/page2.html
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 Closing

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 ==Outline==
 *Basics and OWI
 *Reasons and Importance
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 *Soroka, Kristin. "Hollywood Homefront Mobilization." <u>Hollywood at War</u>. 13 Mar 1999. University of San Diego. 2 Apr 2008 <nowiki><</nowiki>http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/st/<nowiki>~</nowiki>ksoroka/hollywood8.html<nowiki>></nowiki>.
 *Soroka, Kristin. "Selective Filmography." <u>Hollywood at War</u>. 13 Mar 1999. University of San Diego. 2 Apr 2008 <nowiki><</nowiki>http://history.sandiego.edu/gen/st/<nowiki>~</nowiki>ksoroka/hollywoodfilm.html<nowiki>></nowiki>.
-===To Research==
+===To Research===
 *http://www.purewatergazette.net/propagandainamerica.htm
 *http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/index.html

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 [[American Studies]] [[Research Paper]]
 {{Draft}}
 ==Paper==
 As the United States entered World War II, Franklin Delano Roosevelt needed a way to communicate the war to the American people.  With Executive Order 9182, he created the Office of War Information, consolidating different agencies in order to "dissemination of general public information on the war effort."<sup> </sup>  FDR appointed Elmer Davis to head the new agency tasked with coordinating the press, radio and film industries into selling the war to the American people.<sup> </sup>  The agency had 2 purposes: glorify the war and tell the Americans at home why their sacrifices were necessary.<sup> </sup>  At first the agency tried to truthfully represent the war, but later moved onto present slanted works filled with stereotypes of the enemy.<sup> </sup>