PROPAGANDA

Term Paper Title	PROPAGANDA
# of Words	482
# of Pages (250 words per page double spaced)	1.93

PROPAGANDA

Sean Ward
2/7/99
Ms. Maslow
Western Civilization II

Background

Propaganda techniques began with World War I. From the beginning of the war. Both German and British propagandists worked hard to win sympathy and support in the U.S. German propagandists appealed to the many Americans of German descent and to those of Irish descent who were traditionally hostile to Great Britain. Germany was virtually cut off from direct access to the U.S. and British propaganda had little competition in the U.S., and it was conducted more skillfully than Germans. Once engaged in the war, the U.S. organized the Committee on Public Information, an official propaganda agency, to mobilize American public opinion. This committee proved highly successful, particularly in the sale of Liberty Bonds.

Fear

"The streets of our country are in turmoil. The universities are filled with students rebelling and rioting. Communists are seeking to destroy our country. Russia is threatening us with her might, and the Republic is in danger. Yes - danger from within and without. We need law and order! Without it our nation cannot survive." - Adolf Hitler, 1932
When a propagandist warns members of her audience that disaster will ensue if they do not follow a particular course of action, she is using the fear appeal. By playing on the audience's fears, people who use this technique hope to redirect attention away from the merits of a particular proposal and toward steps that can be taken to reduce the fear. It is us...

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