A Study Of American War Propaganda Films During World War Ⅱ

War is a battle not just of military and economic force,but also of cultural force.The United States chose to fight back against the war fear and ideological onslaught produced by Nazi Germany’s ferocious propaganda blitz at the start of World War II.Because of its vast audience,powerful appeal,and ideology-carrying capacity,Hollywood films became a significant means of American propaganda.During the World War II period,Hollywood worked closely with the United States government and military,producing numerous war propaganda films under the direction of the United States Office of War Information.The majority of these films had propagandist elements in common.They not only inspired domestic military and civilians to join the army,amused troops in the field and raised their morale,but they also increased the public’s comprehension of the war and American policies by disseminating war information.At the same time,they revealed the enemy’s essence,disseminated anti-Nazi and anti-Japanese hatred,enhanced the United States’ war image,and propagated the American spirit around the globe.There were four chapters in this paper.The first part focused on the origins of American propaganda films,emphasizing the necessity to counter Nazi propaganda,financial interests,and the need to raise morale.In terms of politics,the Nazi party,headed by Adolf Hitler,waged a propaganda war against the globe after gaining power.The abnormal cultural promotion had caused problems in the United States and Latin America,potentially posing a danger.Hollywood had established a commercialized system in terms of economics.Hollywood’s earnings had continued to rise due to the strengthening of its own strength,growth in the number of film spectators,a significant increase in box office income,and a variety of other factors.In terms of society,the United States had a glorious tradition of heroism.During the war,films reflected the people’s courageous emotions.People were willing to spend money to see movies at the theater.The growth of American propaganda films during World War II was the focus of the second chapter.President Franklin D.Roosevelt thought that films might be an effective propaganda tool,and he pushed for the development of wartime propaganda films.The United States produced a vast number of films during the world war II period,including war documentaries and Hollywood war films,from the beginning of the war until the conclusion.The third chapter revolved around the propaganda theme in World War II American films.The propaganda theme of American war films differs significantly from that of police states.American war films had both similarities and differences from those of democratic nations.Despite the fact that war propaganda films contained a variety of themes,the majority of them shared similar propaganda themes,such as fostering national identity,safeguarding democratic values,and marketing American superiority and exceptionalism,among others.The fourth chapter centered on the impact of American war propaganda films during World War II.One of the goals of the United States Office of War Information was to educate the public about the war situation and the United States’ wartime policy.This mission was successfully achieved by the films.For the United States,it aided wartime mobilization,bolstered troops’ will to fight,and laid the groundwork for cold war propaganda;for the rest of the world,the cultural penetration of American films had crossed and broken national borders.They had effectively transmitted American philosophy,values,and cultural products around the globe,not only conveying to the world the United States’ resolute commitment to fight and establishing a favorable image of the United States.