World War II and PropagandaThe year was 1939; the Nazi party, led by Adolf Hitler, was in power and Europe was in a state of suffering and soon the entire world would be embroiled in a war that would devastate humanity for generations to come. World War II involved many major nations of the world, such as the Axis powers: Germany, Italy and Japan; and the Allied Powers: France, Great Britain and Russia. On December 7, 1941, America joined the Allies after Japan attacked the coast of Hawaii at Pearl Harbor, Oahu. The war was a terrible struggle; however, the battle was not only fought on land, in the air, or in the water. There was a more subtle struggle fought by the filmmakers and poster artists of the Axis and Allied governments. These men and women played an important role in developing some beliefs about their enemies and war, spreading these kinds of thoughts to their fellow citizens to bring some kind of unity to their nation. These psychological soldiers sought to promote love for their country through the power of propaganda. Propaganda is defined as “ideas, facts, or accusations spread deliberately to advance one's own cause or to harm an opposing cause” (Merriam-Webster Dictionary). During World War II, propaganda was a driving force that kept the battles heated and the people of each nation united in a common cause. When we look back at World War II and the times we were in, how effective was propaganda? How was it represented and what images would convince the population of each country to fight in the war? Both countries, Germany and the United States, created extensive promotions during the war that were degrading to the opposing sides. A great sense of nationalism was developing and these propagandists did everything... middle of paper......wwii/index.htmlhttp://tlc.discovery.com/convergence/pacific/video/video. htmlhttp://www.archives.state.al.us/teacher/ww2/lesson2/ (AL Archives)http://www.nara.gov/exhall/powers/powers.htmlhttp://www.oldeagle.nu/ post/http://www.us-israel.org/jsource/Holocaust/goebbels.htmlMerriam – Webster DictionaryJay W. Baird. Nazi War PropagandaOxford University Press, 1974Michael Balfour. Propaganda at War Routledge & Kegan Paul Ltd. 1979 Robert Edwin Herztein. The War Won by HitlerLogman Canada Limited. 1978 Paul Fussel. TypecastingAllan M. Winkler. The Politics of Propaganda Yale University Press. 1978 Clayton D. Laurie. Propaganda WarriorsNicholas John Cull. WarOxford University Press on sale. 1995Antonio Rodi. Propaganda, the art of persuasionChelsea House Publishers. 1976