Propaganda

1. Propaganda

2. “American Patriotism” • To gain support for the war effort officials in the United States hired skilled artisans to create posters that would build public support and increase recruitment for enlistment into the armed forces. • This uncle Sam poster in red, white, and blue clothing is informing young men that joining the army is an act of patriotism.

3. Regulating Food To make sure that the troops had plenty of food and supplies Congress passed the Lever Food and Fuel Control Act. This law gave the government the power to set prices and establish production controls for food and for the fuels needed to run military machines.

4. Regulating Food, Continued • Herbert Hoover often provided slogans such as “Food Can Win the War”. • Some of his goals were to increase the production of crops and to conserve existing food supplies for the military and for American Allies. Goals were to meet military needs first and if there are any remaining goods they may be offered to civilians. • It encouraged Americans to participate in “meatless Mondays” and “wheat-less Wednesdays”. • Results paid off because the United States had so much surplus food that it was exporting three times as much food as it had prior to the war. • During war-time, production and profits increased 20% for many American businesses. (Supply & Demand) • Another proposal was prohibition, or ban, on alcohol. Since alcohol is made from grapes and wheat, Congress limited the alcohol content of beer and wine so that these crops could be used for production.

5. Women War Effort • As men left their jobs to fight on the war front, women moved into those jobs to keep the American economy moving. They held jobs such as, • Working on railroads, at docks, and in factories. • Some took more traditional jobs as teachers and nurses. • And other women took on volunteer positions that ranged from helping to sell liberty bonds to digging victory gardens. • Even President Woodrow Wilson also acknowledged the women's role in the war effort by stating, “This war could not have been fought …if it had not been for the services rendered in every sphere”.

6. Recycling Scrap drives helped provide much-needed metal for the war effort. Recycling metal was quicker and cheaper than mining it.

7. “Liberty War Bonds” When the United States entered the war in 1917, President Woodrow Wilson called on everyone to join the war effort. To help pay for the war, he launched four drives to sell “Liberty Bonds”, like today's government savings bonds, was a form of a loan to the government.

8. The Sinking of the Lusitania • In New York Harbor on Saturday, May 1, 1915 some 1,900 passengers boarded the British luxury ship Lusitania and headed for a war zone. A German u-boat was responsible for the sinking of the luxury ship. • 1200 people died including 128 Americans. • Americans were outraged and urged President Wilson to declare war on Germany.

9. “Building Support for War” Poster #1: (Hint: the gorilla is wearing the same helmet as the German army) Poster #2 shows a German soldier, holding a grenade in one hand and a rifle in the other; in the background is a barbed wire fence and flames. Text encourages enlistment in the G. Kav. Schützen Div. with the slogan "Your Fatherland is in danger, register!"

10. Assignment • Using the examples that were provided in this PowerPoint create a propaganda poster of your own? For example your poster can be an Anti-German or Pro-German poster such as the ones that were provided in this PowerPoint. • Note. Website for Propaganda Posters http://www.ww1propaganda.com/world-war-1-posters/canadian-ww1-propaganda-posters • Please right click and open hyper link.