World War One and Propaganda
World War I was a period of great social, political and economic upheaval. Initially, the war was heralded with patriotic fervour in many countries, fostered by the combined forces of propaganda, media and political rhetoric. Idealistic notions of patriotism, duty, adventure, honour and glory encouraged many young men to enlist in an atmosphere of uniforms, marching soldiers, music and drums. Even Owen writes in one of his letters to his mother, “The sound, together with the gallant bearing of the twenty fifers, has finally dazzled me with Military Glory.” The Battle of the Somme marked a major turning point in public support for the war. Massive losses were sustained, generating in their wake growing pessimism, cynicism and protest. WWI was a war of stalemate and bloody attrition as new weaponry resulted in unprecedented levels of destruction. Countless lives were sacrificed in futile attempts to gain ground. Trench warfare was fought amidst vile conditions of stench, mud, rats, lice and disease. Wilfred Owen was a poet whose work sought to reveal the horrors of war and he became a public spokesman for men at the front. He criticised the jingoistic attitudes of those who supported the war at home.
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Women and Propaganda
Women were encouraged through advertising to admire men who went to war. The posters on the right and below (though American) are perfect examples of the attitudes of young girls at the time: “Be a man and do it”. There is the implication here that if the man joins the war he will be more attractive to young women. In Disabled, Owen’s persona reflects on the fact that he was once swayed by these techniques but now finds them so silly, “he [doesn’t] know why” he was so easily influenced. |