Official British propaganda in Allied and neutral countries during the First World War, with particular reference to organisation and methods.

Abstract

The thesis consists of five chapters, including an introduction and conclusion, and a bibliography. Chapter 1 is an introduction and examines some of the attempts made by the British government before the First World war to influence public opinion. The argument is that though various efforts were made to direct domestic opinion, no syatematic attempt was aimed at influencing foreign opinion. Chapter 2 describes the organisations set up by the British government to run propaganda, beginning with the propaganda bureau at Wellington House in 1914 and culminating in the creation of the Ministry of Information in 1918. It examines critically the Donald reports which were the basis for the restructuring of organisation that took piece. Finally, the quarrel between the Foreign Office and the new Ministry of Information is described. Chapter 3 examines the various ways in which propaganda was distributed abroad and the various methods employed to present it. The effects of organizational on methods are considered. Chapter 4 analyses the content of pamphlet propaganda, with particular reference to themes, the proportion of pamphlets devoted to them and the changes of emphasis that occurred during the war. A special section is devoted to atrocity propaganda. Also examined, ere pamphleteers and their influence on content, and pictorial propaganda. Chapter 5 concludes that the achievements of wellington House have been greatly underestimated and that too much attention has been concentrated upon the Ministry of Information. An attempt is made to explain this and to evaluate the work of the earlier propaganda organisations, the attitudes of politicians towards propaganda and of established government department towards the new propaganda organisations are considered. It is observed that propaganda was held in low repute after the war but that propaganda nevertheless became an indispensable part of our foreign service