World War 2 Propaganda Analysis

An important part of any war that has nothing to do with battle is the people’s support. If the citizens do not want to win the war, the country will not win the war. So, to gain followers of their cause, the government will use propaganda and other methods of psychological manipulation. Propaganda was especially used by all countries involved in World War Two. A great many different kinds of propaganda were used, but arguably the most effective was film. Not only did the use of film help the war effort, but it also helped the film industry, especially animation, gain a leg up in society. War is a time for technological and societal advancement, and film is no exception. Prior to the war, animation was seen as something only meant for children. After the attack on Pearl Harbor in December 1941, the U.S. army contacted Walt Disney to begin work on several propaganda cartoons. These films still utilized the satirical nature of cartoons, but for a more serious topic. Notable animations including famous characters were “Bugs Bunny Bond Rally”, “Foney Fables”, and “Scrap Happy Daffy”.
It opens with caricatures of the Axis powers marching up and down the street singing a song about how much they love the “Fuehrer”. Everything, even the farm animals, heil Hitler. Donald Duck is depicted as a worker in nazi Germany, reading Mein Kampf over a breakfast of wooden bread and a single coffee bean dipped in water. He goes to work in a factory making shells and constantly heiling Hitler. Donald works nonstop with no breaks before waking up in his own bed in good ol’ America. The purpose of the film was to portray life in Germany as it actually was. Hitler described it in his speeches as the greatest country in the world, a paradise for the people he deemed worthy. Obviously, he was not telling the truth. Nazi Germany was unpleasant at best even for aryan