Page 74 - All About History - Issue 09-14

10 dirty tricks of World War II

851 610 CA classified

Propaganda

s well as influencing their own bombarded the French Maginot Line with Devised by: Both sides
civilian populations and armed see-through postcards carrying pictures
forces into rallying behind the of French soldiers dying in action beneath Did it work? The fact propaganda is
war effort, propaganda was also an empty sky inscribed with the words still used in conflicts today shows its
A used by both sides in attempts “Où le Tommy est-il resté?” (French for effectiveness. Hitler was so convinced
to demoralise the opposition. ‘Black’ ‘Where’s Tommy?’). Held to the light, the of its power he devoted two chapters of
propaganda was popular and would fool cards would reveal a hidden scene showing Mein Kampf to analysis of it.
people with lies and deceptions to distract Tommy in bed with half-naked French
them. British and German leaflets would be women and they were designed to make
sent to their enemies, encouraging them to the recipient naturally jealous, powerless
feign illness or try and cheat their way out and despondent.
of fighting, hammering home the point that The Germans also dropped documents
it was better to return alive than dead. on British lines in Europe showing an
More obvious propaganda manifested American GI snuggling up with the wife of
itself in German leaflets, falsely claiming a British soldier. Most likely created under
that British prisoners of war were being put the influence of Joseph Goebbels, Adolf
up in luxury accommodation. These were Hitler’s head of propaganda, they stated:
produced following the D-day invasion of “You are fighting and dying far away from
June 1944. But perhaps the most devious your country while the Yanks have got
was material that played on the emotions loads of money and loads of time to chase
of soldiers. In 1940, German aircraft after your women.”
Warning
Disclos

A leaflet aimed at
74 A British propaganda leaflet demoralising soldiers
aimed at German soldiers