Recruitment, censorship and propoganda in world war 1- in both britain and germany

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Recruitment, Censorship and Propaganda were all used in conjunction with each other in order to get the public involved in the war. Posters and signs of propagandist material were initially used to recruit soldiers. In apprehension of the public becoming disheartened, censorship was inducted to confine overwhelming stories from the front. This was so that recruitment remained solid, as a result of an anxious need of soldiers to sever the stalemate and instigate a major offensive. Primarily, censorship is fundamentally a tactic of propaganda, while the theme of war is glorified to promote recruiting.

In Britain, the outbreak of the WW1 was welcomed with colossal interest. People were eager, proud and were determined to show their love for their country. This was attained, due to the public perception of the war being heroic and the role of censorship and propaganda in recruiting people to get themselves involved in the war.

As a result, almost immediately, men enlisted through recruiting agencies, persuaded by the attraction of fighting a war for the good of their country. When conscription was ruled out as politically incorrect, Kitchener relied on emotional blackmail to entice people to join his new army. Posters all over the land showed Kitchener's stern features and accusing finger and brought home his message, "Your country needs you!" and "Enlist now!". Men were encouraged this way, and to enlist with their friends to form 'pals battalions' which was thought to sound more tempting. Guilt and shame were also used as a way to persuade men to enlist. Men who didn't enlist were constantly ridiculed until they did join. They usually received a white feather in the mail, representing that of a spiritless chicken. It was considered a disgrace to be seen in the street without a uniform. However, the pressure for the...