Propaganda played a major role in WWI because it shaped people's views on the war. When the United States entered the war they created the Committee on Public Information, which was an official propaganda agency. The committee spread propaganda through postcards, posters, newspapers, pamphlets and movies.
It can be concluded that Australian propaganda posters utilised six different aspects to appeal to men to enlist. These included:
- Appealing to their patriotism by summoning people to 'rally around the flag' and reminding them of their duty to the Empire and the British
- Utilising a gender approach which made men feel they needed to enlist to prove their sporting aptitude, courage and masculinity.
- Inviting peers and family to place pressure and shame on men for not applying in order to make them feel ashamed and cowardly.
- Encouraging a spirit of adventure and a desire to see the world by using a recruitment poster which places emphasis on a physical, sport-like side of war.
- Self-interest, including a chance to have a secure job which was relatively well paid.
- Exaggerating the hatred and fear of the Germans by allowing people to think that they might attack their friends and families.
Although, propaganda omitt
ed important facts from the posters. These omissions gave people a false impression of what war was really like. The propaganda intentionally neglected to mention the realities which the soldiers had to endure, such as a rationed, unvaried diet, adverse climatic conditions, physically arduous training and, most importantly, the substantial risk of injury and death.
Propaganda was the best way to shape the opinions of people all over the world. Regardless of whether people agreed with the morality of propaganda in recruitment and conscription campaigns, it cannot be denied that it was utilised as an effective and powerful instrument in World War I.
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