Propaganda, Power and Persuasion: From World War I to Wikileaks (International Library of Historical Studies)

As Philip Taylor has written, 'The challenge (of the modern information age) is to ensure that no single propaganda source gains monopoly over the information and images that shape our thoughts. If this happens, the war propagandists will be back in business again.' Propaganda came of age in the Twentieth Century. The development of mass- and multi-media offered a fertile ground for propaganda while global conflict provided the impetus needed for its growth. Propaganda has however become a portmanteau word, which can be interpreted in a number of different ways. What are the characteristic features of propaganda, and how can it be defined? The distinguished contributors to this book trace the development of techniques of 'opinion management' from the First World War to the current conflict in Afghanistan. They reveal how state leaders and spin-doctors operating at the behest of the state, sought to shape popular attitudes - at home and overseas - endeavouring to harness new media with the objective of winning hearts and minds. The book provides compelling evidence of how the study and practice of propaganda today is shaped by its history. Cover; About the Author; Title Page; Copyright Page; Dedication Page; Contents; List of Illustrations; Notes on Contributors; Part I Introduction; 'Opening Pandora's Box': Propaganda, Power and Persuasion; Part II The Great War; 1 Propaganda, Memory and Identity: The Battle of the Falkland Islands, December 1914; 2 Images of the Hun: The Portrayal of the German Enemy in British Propaganda in World War I; Part III Interwar Period and the Second World War; 3 George Arliss: The Superstar as Propagandist British Propaganda in the Interwar Period. 4 'War' versus 'Cultural' Propaganda: Institutional and Ideological Tensions over the Projection of Britain during the Second World War; 5 'Today Germany, Tomorrow the World': Nazi Propaganda and Total War, 1943-45; Part IV Cold War and Post Cold War; 6 The Tragedy of American Public Diplomacy, 1989-1999: The Last Decade of the United States Information Agency Reconsidered; 7 Radio Free Asia and China's Harmonious Society; 8 NATO and Information Warfare; Part V Strategic Communications; 9 Strategic Communications and the Combatant Commander. 10 Strategy, Influence, Strategic Communication and British Military Doctrine; 11 Bridging the Firewall? Information Operations and US Military Doctrine in the Battles of Fallujah; Part VI Contemporary Modes of Propaganda and the War on Terrorism; 12 (Mis)Communication Wars: Terrorism, Counter-terrorism and the Media; 13 WikiLeaks and Cybersecurity: New Modes of Propaganda; 14 'Telling it like it is': Contemporary War, Propaganda, Media and the State; Notes; Select Bibliography. As Philip Taylor has written, 'The challenge (of the modern information age) is to ensure that no single propaganda source gains monopoly over the information and images that shape our thoughts. If this happens, the war propagandists will be back in business again.' Propaganda came of age in the Twentieth Century. The development of mass- and multi-media offered a fertile ground for propaganda while global conflict provided the impetus needed for its growth. Propaganda has however become a portmanteau word, which can be interpreted in a number of different ways. What are the characteristic features of propaganda, and how can it be defined? This book traces the development of techniques of 'opinion management' from World War I to the war in Afghanistan. It reveals how state leaders and spin-doctors operating at the behest of the state, sought to shape popular attitudes - at home and overseas - endeavouring to harness new media with the objective of winning hearts and minds. In doing so, it provides compelling evidence of how the study and practice of propaganda today is shaped by its history Propaganda is all around us, used to promote a sense of common cause and belonging, change behaviour or influence ideas, as well as to mislead, deceive, even destroy. Perhaps the greatest and most sophisticated exponent of propaganda is the modern state. Using universal themes of conflict, public education, protest and leadership, this book, which accompanies a major new exhibition at the British Library, takes a close look at the range of propaganda used by different states - and their opponents. Over the last 100 years, increased literacy, multiplying media formats, methodologies and competing messengers have required ever greater effort to persuade and influence citizens, and the book's primary focus is the 20th and 21st centuries, taking a worldwide view. The book provides compelling evidence of how the study and practice of propaganda today is shaped by its history. As Philip Taylor has written, 'The challenge (of the modern information age) is to ensure that no single propaganda source gains monopoly over the information and images that shape our thoughts. If this happens, the war propagandists will be back in business again.'