Propaganda and women during Essay

Propaganda was used in World War One to make sure that people only knew what the Government wanted them to. To make sure everyone thought the same way as the government all information was controlled. Newspapers were expected to print what the government wanted and the newspapers started using emotional headlines, even if they weren’t true. Some examples of these headlines are: -â€Å"Belgium child’s hands cut off by Germans† -â€Å"Germans crucify Canadian officer† Anyone caught spreading the truth would be arrested. Propaganda aimed at Women While the men were fighting it was left to the women to do the men’s jobs and treat injured soldiers. To get the women to do this propaganda was used. The Red Cross used pride in this poster to try and get women to join. Propaganda aimed at Men This poster uses pride to try and get the men to join the army, this poster is showing a man’s children asking him what he did in the war. The government are trying to say that if you fight in the war your family would be proud of you. Untrue stories â€Å"Monks in Antwerp were being forced to ring bells to celebrate the Germans invading the city. The monks refused to do this so were tied to the clappers of the bells and being used as human clappers which killed them.† This was untrue but a brilliant way for the British government to make people hate the Germans even more. German Newspaper headlines -English soldiers put plague germs in German wells. -German prisoners blinded by their Allied Captors. Women during WW1 While the men were fighting someone had to do their jobs so this usually fell to the women. Some of the jobs they were given were; nurses, working in munitions factories (which often turned their hair and skin yellow due to the chemicals), in public transport, as police women, ambulance drivers, fire fighters, in post offices, making weapons and farming. Towards the end of the war some women were being recruited into the army as cooks, clerks and electricians so that all the men could fight. Most women would still have to do the cooking, cleaning and other household chores as well as their day jobs. The women also knitted scarves, hats and gloves to send to the soldiers. This is not often recognised and they didn’t always get there but if they did the soldiers were grateful. The Women’s Land Army In WW1 the German navy stopped food being imported to England and this made up 50% of the food eaten in England. In 1917 the harvest failed and there were not many reserves. Rations were put in place and the British made do. There was also a shortage of farm labourers as most men were out fighting. The government set up the land army which allowed women to become farm labourers which would not have been allowed before. By 1918 there were 23,000 Land girls that would milk the cattle, plough the fields and herd the cattle. The Land army stopped in 1919 as the men returned home and food was able to imported again.