After the war, an increase began to emerge in a variety of fields studying human behavior, very different and more nuanced models of how mass culture reacted to the information. The social model that has prevailed in democracies for several decades is the assumption that the elites within society, such as the elites who influence the press, essentially decide on public opinion on any major issue. These results are closely associated with the concern of various British officials during the First World War to present their people with a confident front, including by maintaining the support of the national media and the increasingly obvious tensions among leaders in Germany as the war continued. The same results also coincide with the observations of social and cultural historians of the role of local leaders and opinion-formers in the societies that fought the war. Propaganda was seen in the 1920s and 1930s as being the most effective weapon to use against the domestic population of the enemy.
As time went on, propaganda began to change, creating an increasingly powerful tool. Throughout World War II, leaders used propaganda in a more structured, more calculated way. Technology had progressed quickly by the outbreak of the war in 1939. Canada now has a public radio broadcasting and a government-funded film production body with the Public Film Board (NFB) in collaboration with the Department of National War Services to produce Canada Carries On, a series of quick propaganda films showcasing Canada's participation in the war, at home and in Europe. Such films were shown in cinemas before feature films. Some 500 films were made by the NFB during World War II. The founding leader, John Grierson, called the propaganda films “a hammer to shape society,” (1939-1945) One movie portrayed Britain as a noble, tranquil island facing Nazi invasions. It was so well made and effective in portraying its messaging that it won the award for best short documentary in 1942. The NFB used these types of films to shape the national identity and persuade Canadians to support the war effort however they could. During World War II, the Canadian government launched a widespread propaganda campaign aimed at raising morals across the nation and telling Canadians that everyone needed to contribute to the military to wage a successful war abroad. Posters quickly became an important part of the campaign as they supplied an inexpensive method for communicating messages to every corner of the country. Elements of the propaganda campaign, such as the recruitment of posters, were key components of the Canadian war effort, as the country was largely unprepared for war. Throughout 1942, it became more difficult to convince Canadian civilians that war would bring glamour and excitement. Canadians and people around the world were well aware of the massive scale of the global war. After three years of struggle, propaganda posters sent out the message that if Europe and the Pacific fell into the hands of the enemy, nothing else would stand in the way if the enemy decided to invade North America.
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Propaganda has become stronger over time and has shown itself to be in totalitarian regimes. After the First World War and the Depression, there was an uprising of financial issues that led people to wonder whether or not a democratic government could help them and improve their lives. Totalitarian governments have created a sense of security and have given people a clear vision for the future. Germany was ravaged during the First World War. The Treaty of Versailles compelled Germany to reduce its military, surrender land and property, and pay reparations and fines for the war. Accepting the blame for this war, the Germans were enraged and embarrassed. Their economies have also been in chaos as a result of financial compensation, poverty, and the Great Depression. Adolf Hitler formed a fascist group called the National Socialist Workers Party of Germany or the Nazis. Hitler and the Nazis gained popularity and power through propaganda and close ties with government leaders. And finally, the title of Chancellor was given to Hitler. Hitler put an end to capitalism and took absolute power.
Germany used the type of propaganda developed by British propaganda in World War 1, in 1925 Adolf Hitler wrote that propaganda should be “aimed at the emotions,” and that it should use slogans to be repeated over and over. Hitler had used propaganda to lie and to “serve our right, always and unflinchingly.” Hitler had created the Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda in 1933, it controlled most forms of media in Germany. The films that remained were racist films that portrayed Jewish people badly and were meant to persuade Germans how necessary anti-Semitic laws were. The Nazis had also used their form of propaganda to hide the things they’d done. The government had made the Theresienstadt ghetto in 1941 as a way to show Jewish residents at a concert to show they were safe. They had shown there was no reason to be concerned that the Jewish people were being treated badly
Propaganda completely evolved through media. The accessibility to media has completely changed how much propaganda so one is exposed to. Propaganda has also been greatly influenced through time and has been developing for years adjusting through each new medium of media, and getting stronger. People constantly have propaganda messages from all sides, making it hard to realize which one is right. Efforts to change people's views collectively are not an easy game and have come down to a war between media outlets. Media sources have grown to be so influential on public opinion that they can force the different parties at war to focus on certain issues by raising public awareness of the issue. Governments can’t ignore issues that the public has strong opinions about. With the media now embedded in the war and getting real-time footage, the government cannot tell the media what the government wants the people to focus on. The media choosing an event to focus on can change public opinion and force governments to do something about it. With all the propaganda and psychological aspects involved in war, it makes it hard to believe what we read in mass media is true. Most of the media sources we read have a natural and unavoidable bias. Not every media source has a natural bias, many news organizations have a specific bias and agenda. World War I made people want to understand propaganda and how to use it effectively, but the need for power forged propaganda into a terrifying weapon.
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