Propaganda in World War II

World War II was the deadliest war of all time. This is because so much tension had built up between the powers of the world over the last half-century or so, and was not by any means settled by World War I. With such an extreme war coming up, it became clear that massive amounts of troops were going to be needed to avoid an unaffordable loss. The idea of entering the military is not a pleasant one to many people, especially when a war as gruesome as World War I had occurred just a generation ago. Therefore, propaganda had to be used to convince masses of citizens to enlist in the military. Propaganda involves the government spreading media to alter the opinion of the country's population. This technique was most notable in Germany. As Hitler had complete control over Germany, his improvements to the country during his reign garnered great respect from the German citizens. Appearing to be a hero, Hitler could get the entire country's attention at once, and convince all able persons to go to war. He instilled a sense of patriotism in the German people, letting them feel that they could contribute to their leader's success by fighting for their country. Meanwhile, American propaganda worked a bit differently. As the United States is a democracy, there is never one man in government who receives all the power and fame that a dictator can. Instead, the character Uncle Sam was used as a spokesperson for the United States military. Also, American propaganda was not necessarily as patriotic as Germany's. It was more about making the American people fear what the world could become if the Axis came to power by winning World War II. People were encouraged to enlist in the army not to lift up their own country, but to put down others.