Media Influence on the People of the Us During Ww1

World War 1 proved America to be the nation producing the highest amount of propaganda. Through his use of propaganda President Wilson was able to draw American Support for the war. Despite his being elected as the “peace” president. Many Americans believed he’d keep them out of the war, especially after he stated that, “so far as I can remember, this is a government of the people, and this people is not going to choose war.” Before his election, Wilson promoted American neutrality. He pushed for what he believed his Americans wanted. However, through his employment of propaganda, Woodrow Wilson was able

Propaganda played a huge role in the U.S. government's decision on entering the war. All of our information, news, and war updates came from Britain, so

No man can sit down and withhold his hands from the warfare against wrong and get peace from his acquiescence .” President Woodrow Wilson could not maintain neutrality after a series of events that threatened the interests of the US. Wilson knew that he would not have the support of a diverse American public upon entering the war, so he came up with a plan. He designed the Committee on Public Information to advertise pro-war propaganda. He needed to convince the people that an involvement in the war was needed “to make the world safe for democracy .” Propaganda was heavily used to mobilize the public opinion of a united war effort, and it was also an attempt on homogenizing a pluralistic nation. The positive effects of this use were it unified a heterogeneous society, and it was able to get the Americans to invest their time and effort on the war. The negative effects of this were it caused hatred to those who were of the enemies’ ancestry, and false advertising lead to a loss of many innocent lives.

The soldiers were just young men: young men from all over Britain thrown into war. It was hardly heard of men refusing to serve in the war - re-cruitment posters (source A) put pressure on men to join, by playing on their conscience.

"Propaganda was a huge tool used to sway citizens toward a particular political view. "The U.S.A. entered World War One in April 1917, but lost no time in producing many more propaganda posters than any other single nation. These encompassed recruitment to the various armed services, plus - frequently - the raising of war finance via

During WWII, media was a huge part in trying to rally up the people to help in war efforts. . Great Britain was in major need and were willing to do anything.

Things that are portrayed in a British propaganda poster are hatred of germany, sense of adventure. patriotism, quick victory, and society and women will view you as cowardly if you don't join. At first this was very successful, with an average of 33,000 men joining daily. Three weeks later, over 500,000 men had volunteered their service. Many people enlisted thought the war would be over by Christmas that year, which could account for the large numbers volunteering.

The army at the time was looking for men, and at the time those who did not enlist were seen as weak. But no man knew what he was signing up for when he enlisted because of the way the war was portrayed in the media. War, in general, is glamorized and, often perceived to be

When WWI broke out , president Wilson announced that America would remain neutral(Nash 496). Wilson repeated his slogan “ keep us out of the war” during his reelection campaign in 1916(Unveiling History Par 1). Many Americans agreed with this and they sought out to promote peace and help end the war. Unfortunately, others were ecstatic for the adventure and could hardly wait(Nash 496). Over time, Wilson came to believe that it was the duty of the U.S to intervene on the side of England and France. I believe that Wilson and the government tried extremely hard to promote participation for soldiers and make the war seem like a good thing.

Woodrow Wilson won the election and made a promise to the public not to get involved in the Western Hemisphere. The economic interests, German submarine warfare, and other events gradually pushed the U.S into the world war I. In 1971, the united states declared war on Germany. To enter the war the United States acquired unity of the nation, more army force, and financial support from its people. The U.S needed to accomplish these three needs before going into the war to come out as a winner. Therefore, The committee of Public Information was created to get the support the war needed from the people of the United States.

The United States government has historically used propaganda to entice, encourage, and even shame a person into enlisting in to the uniformed services and/or supporting the war effort. The effective use of propaganda does not only affect the American public’s opinion of a war and its leaders, but also affects their commitment to the war effort. Ineffective use (or lack of) of propaganda can lead to resentment and undermine public trust in its leaders and their ability to lead the nation. This essay will show how the use of media has either supported or hindered the effective use of governmental propaganda in influencing the American public during times of war and why is it sometimes not important to know what is the “whole truth.” The areas that will be covered will be the propaganda used during the Revolutionary War, the Civil War, World War I-II, the Cold War/Vietnam, and also it’s affect on public opinion.

During his testimony to the Senate Committee of Foreign Relations, John Kerry mentioned that in his opinion, “there is nothing in South Vietnam which could have happened that realistically threatens the United States of America.” In that same testimony, Kerry discussed that most people “did not even know the difference between communism and democracy. They only wanted to work in rice paddies without helicopters strafing them and bombs with napalm burning their villages and tearing their country apart.” The Fulbright hearings were an eye-opener to the millions of Americans who watched them. They convinced many that opposing the war and patriotism were compatible. The movement against the Vietnam War could be said as one of the greatest

During this time the American public had been in deep controversy over whether or not to join the war. On one hand there were many who supported Wilson and his administrations efforts to keep the United States out of the war. Others, seeing no end in sight to the fighting, wanted to ensure the United States would be ready to answer the call to fight and defend itself if needed. A major source of contention was the 1917 Selective Service Act that required 24 million men to register for the draft. Some of the largest and most outspoken critics of Wilson’s administration and his handling of the war came from the Socialist Party and the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW). As it seemed only a matter of time until the United States would be caught up in the war, those opposed to getting involved and the administration’s newly formed propaganda machine the Committee on Public Information began distributing information backing their respective stance on both social and political agendas. Every means available was used by both sides, from newspapers and flyers to public gatherings and organized events. By the elections in the fall of 1917 the Socialist Party was responsible for one fifth of the votes. By this time the United States had formally declared war on Germany and needed as much support from the citizens as possible

Back in the 1920s people had receive news and entertainment through the radio, which then in turn out-shined newspapers and magazines. Now day’s social media sites have become the most popular form to get the news and information. The biggest tool in the media that generates revenue by the millions every day, is advertising. The media has its way of showing us constructive information when it comes to news channels, travel and other educational shows. Kids benefit from watching these, since it can boost self-esteem, heighten interest levels in a particular subject, or encourage them to ask relevant questions.

The news corporations during Vietnam no longer had to rely on the government to fly reporters out to the front, due to the new recourses corporations had. Since the media was no longer dependent on the government, news reporters no longer felt obliged to conform to the views of the government as a form of gratitude. The media had a profound effect on both the Vietnam War and World War II. During World War II, the media helped the war effort significantly. Through the promotion of war bonds, victory gardens, conservation and other pro war efforts, the media positively impacted not only the public opinion of the war, but also the fight itself. The media’s impact on Vietnam, on the other hand, was extremely detrimental to public support of the war. Analyzing the overall effect of media on both wars, the outstanding conclusion remains that the media, by influencing public opinions and action, has a significant effect on the outcome of war. In World War II, the government sailed to victory with the public at its back. Media encouraged citizens to enlist in the army, work in factories, and do whatever it takes at home to win. In Vietnam, the government’s withdrawal of troops only occurred after the majority of Americans realized that the U.S had failed its job of bringing democracy to the region. Through the presentation of the war in the media, Americans realized Vietnam was a lost cause. The anti-war movement grew in response to the portrayal of the war in the news, eventually effecting the decisions of policy makers. The course that media can take during a war can be as unpredictable as the war itself. While many factors account for the outcomes of armed conflict, the influence of the media remains a dominant one, exemplified by its diverse yet powerful effects on both World War II and the Vietnam