Britain in the Second World War.

1. Britain in the Second World War. Propaganda and Censorship.

2. What is Propaganda? Propaganda – is publicity or selected information, used to try and persuade people into believing a certain message or idea. The message or idea does not have to be true. Propaganda can be like a form of advertising or presenting an event in a chosen way. Propaganda encouraged patriotism and a willingness to fight.

3. What is censorship? Censorship provides an official authorised version of events. The censor will change or edit films, newspaper stories, news etc .. before public release, so as to suppress any parts that the government does not want the public to know about. For example military mistakes, disasters or set backs, that might cause public fear or panic. The government was always trying to keep people’s spirits high, so that they would want to continue the war effort.

4. The Ministry of Information. • The Ministry of Information was responsible for the poster campaigns which encouraged people to join the voluntary services and to work hard and save in order to help the war effort. • It also tried to keep in touch with the mood of the people through an organisation called Mass Observation whose members (usually police or intelligence officers) carried out surveys and reported on conversations they had heard in shops, pubs and other places.

5. A Mass Observation Report on the bombing of Coventry in 1940. “There were more signs of hysteria, terror, neurosis, observed than in the previous two months together in all areas. The overwhelming feeling on Friday was the feeling of utter helplessness. The tremendous impact of the previous night had left people practically speechless in many cases. On Friday evening (15 November) there were several signs of suppressed panic as darkness approached.”

6. Urging the people on! This was a Ministry of Information poster from early on in the war. Some people though this reinforced a “them and us” attitude. The workers would win the war, but it would be the upper classes who would benefit!

7. Careless talk …. • The Ministry of Information also produced posters which warned people of the dangers of “careless talk”. • The poster opposite, was one of a series which intended to stop people carelessly giving away secret information to enemy spies who were active in Britain. These spies would send information back to Germany.

8. Helping the war effort. • The purpose of the poster opposite was to encourage people to think twice about spending money un-necessarily. • Such propaganda which encouraged people to save for the war effort and not to waste, became a regular feature of messages to the housewife implying that wasting anything was helping the Germans.

9. The Churchill factor. War time propaganda also made good use of the image of the Prime Minister Winston Churchill. There is no doubt that he was a great wartime leader. However the way in which the newspapers, newsreels and the BBC reported him made him an almost legendary figure. Opposite, of all the leaders of the British Empire and Commonwealth countries fighting against Germany, Churchill is the one leading from the front. He is dressed as John Bull!

10. The use of cartoons! • Again the message of this cartoon is to emphasize the leadership of Churchill. Churchill is leading and uniting the Cabinet and the nations politicians. They march together rolling up their shirt sleeves ready for the fight! • Cartoons were an amusing and witty way of getting over a message!

11. Newspapers • Newspapers were also censored by the government during the war. They reported no the bombings, but concentrated on the heroism of the rescuers rather than the deaths and injuries in an attempt to keep up morale. • Publication of the left wing Daily Worker was banned in 1941 because it was claiming that the war was being fought for the bosses rather than for a battle for democracy.

12. Radio • Both sides tried to influence the other by transmitting propaganda over the radio. • Lord Haw Haw broadcasts from Germany were disturbing to some British citizens. Lord Haw Haw pictured left (real name William Joyce) was a Briton living in Germany who was used by Radio Hamburg to mock the British war effort and to undermine morale. • He would deliberately broadcast stories that said that Britain was losing the war and aught to surrender. After capture he was hung as a traitor.

13. Here is the BBC … The BBC also made broadcasts to Germany which included enough truth to make them appear genuine but enough rumour to disturb the German war effort. Although the government never censored the BBC, (the BBC censored itself), the BBC played a vital role in the propaganda war. By 1945, an estimated 25 million people tuned into the BBC’s radio programmes. Most of the great film, radio and stage stars made programmes to boost the morale of civilians and the troops. Left Tommy Trinder, a popular comedian who poked fun at the hardships of the war and at Hitler and the Nazis.

14. Dunkirk Dunkirk was a good example of how the BBC transformed a military disaster into a morale boosting triumph. As Spike Milligan put it in his memoirs “Dunkirk was a mess up, but what a glorious mess up!”