Government Propaganda Flashcards
What was the most famous government film and why?
- battle of Somme, August 1916
- it didn’t hide the horrors of the war
What happened at the battle of the Somme?
- 1st July 20,000 dead on first day
- lasted until November
- conscription had already been introduced
- people already knew how bad it was
How many saw the Battle of the Somme film?
20 million in 6 weeks
Why was it different to most propaganda films?
Because they normally showed war in positive light
How many postcards were issued in the 1st year of the war?
Between 2 and 5 million copies of 110 different posters
What were most of them targeted at?
The war
How did the posters change?
They were aimed at combating war-weariness by publishing the terrible deaths of the enemy and the heroism of British troops
What happened at the start of the war to newspapers?
They were not allowed at the front at all. The government gave them a summary of what was happening
What was reporting like at the start of the war?
The British press did not report bad news. No casualty lists were published in newspapers until May 1915
What did a ‘baptism of fire’ mean?
Heavy casualties
What did ‘rectification of the line’ mean?
Retreat
What did ‘broken heroes’ mean?
Shell-shocked soldiers
What did ‘wastage’ mean?
Death
What was the problem with the reports?
Although the kept morale high at home, soldiers knew that they were wrong. This meant that there was gulf created between the soldiers on the front and the people at home.
What did this gulf mean and how did it make the soldiers feel?
It meant the soldiers couldn’t speak to their friends and family about their experiences. It made them feel betrayed and abandoned by the people at home who believed the lies.
