PROPAGANDA
How the government made use of film and radio.
The Ministry of Information
made many films to warn people about possible dangers. At the beginning
of the war these were often about air raids, shelters and gas masks.
People were told to carry their gas masks at all times and to keep off
the streets.
Documentary films were also made about places in Britain
or about factories for example. These were intended to make people aware
of what they were fighting for. The films showed a positive image of
people in Britain - they were getting on with their work and smiling.
The government also used feature films to inform people
and keep up morale. "In Which We Serve" was a film about the
navy, "F for Freddie" told the story of a bombing mission
over Germany and "Went the Day Well?" told the imaginary story
of an invasion of Britain which was defeated by a village community.
Throughout the film there are clues about how to spot Germans. 
The most famous film of all was "Henry V" made
by Laurence Olivier in 1944. This featured the battle of Agincourt in
1415, when the English defeated the much larger French Army. This was
intended to reassure people that the war would be won.
Radio was also very important. The Home Service (now
Radio 4) was used to inform people about the events of the war. The
government did not try to prevent news of serious defeats from being
published, as it had during the First World War. However, the evacuation
of Dunkirk was described as the "Miracle of Dunkirk", which
not only made it sound a lot less like a disaster, but it also suggested
that there was some religious significance to the escape. During the
war attendance at church services rose dramatically and the government
was quite prepared to make use of this.
The government did try to disguise the real effects of
bombing on people, especially the Blitz on London in 1940. There is
plenty of evidence that the effects were far more devastating than newspapers
let on at the time. Newspapers only published stories of people being
brave and standing up to the effects of air raids. Photographs of large
numbers of casualties were not published. The photographs of the direct
hit on Balham Underground Station referred to in People at War were not published until after the war.
The government also tried to exaggerate victories. For
example, on 15th September 1940 after a massive daylight air raid on
London, the BBC announced that, according to official figures, 180 German
planes had been shot down. In fact the number was about 60. People believed
that the BBC was telling the truth as far as possible and relied upon
it for information. This helped the government maintain morale.
As well as news, the BBC also broadcast entertainment
programmes. These played an important role in maintaining morale during
the early years of the war. The most famous were "ITMA" (It's
That Man Again) and "Much Binding in the Marsh".
Why was so much emphasis put on posters and adverts.
The government realised that
if the war was going to be won, people were going to have to change
many of their ways. For example, many foods were not going to be available.
Scrap metal, paper, clothing would all have to be collected and re-used;
this was known as "salvage". So a series of propaganda campaigns
were begun to persuade people to be more careful.
A series of posters were produced under the title, "Careless
Talk Costs Lives"; these warned people not to discuss the war in
public in case German agents were listening.
Cartoon characters were created like the "Squanderbug"
- who wasted food.
Newspapers were full of recipes and adverts for pills
and additives that would make up any deficiencies in diet. The Minister
of Food Production, Lord Woolton, gave his name to "Woolton Pie",
which was made from vegetables and breadcrumbs. He also published the
rhyme,
Those who have the will to win
Cook potatoes in their skin.
For they know the sight of peelings
Deeply hurts Lord Woolton's feelings.
Like many adverts and posters
this asked people to change their habits to avoid wasting food. Pressure
was put on people to stop growing vegetables that were of little value,
such as cucumbers, and to grow something useful instead.
Many of the posters and adverts were aimed at housewives. The "Dig
for Victory" campaign asked women to grow their own vegetables.
New food came onto the market; Spam was invented as a meat substitute.
There were many medicines advertised that were supposed to cure backache
and stress. But the biggest single problem was how to cook tasty meals
with rations.
The role of Entertainment
The first years of the war
were full of Axis successes. It was not until October 1942 that the
Eighth Army defeated Rommel at El Alamein. The government realised that
entertainment would be vital to keep people's spirits up. Radio and the cinema played a very
important role, but every popular entertainer was expected to play a
part:
Comedians and singers were very important; many made their reputations
during the war. Vera Lynn was publicised as the "Forces' Sweetheart".
A completely new type of radio programme was "Workers' Playtime",
which took entertainers to a different factory every lunchtime. Unlike
other programmes, this was introduced by Wilfred Pickles, who had a
strong northern accent.
Classical music became much more popular during the war and a famous
series of concerts was given by Dame Myra Hess, a Jewish concert pianist.
People flocked to hear her play.
The role of the BBC was central to the government's attempts to maintain
morale. It also provided a means of communicating with the peoples of
occupied Europe. The BBC was changed dramatically by the war, eventually
becoming a national institution.
Summary
When war broke out in September
1939, the British Government was very aware of the importance of propaganda.
That is to say, providing information about the way the war was going,
trying to make sure that people obeyed the regulations and restrictions
that were imposed by the government and keeping up people's morale.
A Ministry of Information
was set up, as it had been during the First World War, which employed
film directors, actors and entertainers throughout the war.
Answer
!
1.How
did the government make use of film and radio?
2.Why
was so much emphasis put on posters and adverts?
3.What
was the role of Entertainment ?
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