Propaganda
[prop-uh-gan-duh]
–noun 1.information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to help or harm a person, group, movement, institution, nation,etc.*
Communist and other totalitarian countries often use propaganda to manipulate their public opinion of their citizens. Along with extreme propaganda usage, they also use censorship to block their citizens from seeing anything other than what they have to offer. If they see "how the other half lives", they will realize that communism is horrible and manipulative. Most totalitarian countries are anti-religion and anti-capitalism. The capitalists are often depicting as fat, greedy men (as shown below) that are manipulative and exploit the impoverished working class. Censorship is successful here, because the citizens don't know the benefits of capitalism. They don't know the greatness of freedoms and choice. The government and people that use this type of control want their citizens to believe in one idea. Countries widely known for using propaganda in their history include the Soviet Russia and Nazi Germany.
In the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin often used this type of manipulation to run their government. They didn't want their people to see the benefits of the anti-communist world. Their use of propaganda made their government seem like the ideal form; no other type of government can work successfully. As shown in the propaganda below, the Soviets depicted themselves as a strong country with their people behind them. They were trying to show that their form of government is prevailing. They displayed other countries as lowly and manipulative, when in fact, they were the ones manipulating their people by using propaganda. After Lenin died, there was a struggle for power between Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Once again, propaganda was used to gain advantage and change the thoughts of the public. He depicting Trotsky in a devilish manner, trying to control Soviet Russia for his own benefits, not for the betterment of the state.
Nazi Germany is most commonly known for being anti-Semitic. However, they were also against the Roman Catholic Church. Like most other totalitarian states, they were against anything that came in the way of complete power. Religion plays a major role in many people's lives. Often a question is whether to follow the laws of religion or the laws of the state. In most people's lives, they have struggled with which is more important to follow. The propaganda below shows the Nazi stabbing the Bible, saying it is the enemy of the state. This depiction of the evils of the Bible was an attempt to manipulate people to believe that the Bible would do no good to the people. In fact, it was the enemy. Why would you love your enemy? Once again, propaganda was used to attempt to change the way the citizens saw their world. Only what the government believed was true, would be what the people would be able to see and believe. A very popular type of propaganda in Germany usually tried to convince their men to join the army and support the war effort.
In the Soviet Union, Vladimir Lenin and Josef Stalin often used this type of manipulation to run their government. They didn't want their people to see the benefits of the anti-communist world. Their use of propaganda made their government seem like the ideal form; no other type of government can work successfully. As shown in the propaganda below, the Soviets depicted themselves as a strong country with their people behind them. They were trying to show that their form of government is prevailing. They displayed other countries as lowly and manipulative, when in fact, they were the ones manipulating their people by using propaganda. After Lenin died, there was a struggle for power between Stalin and Leon Trotsky. Once again, propaganda was used to gain advantage and change the thoughts of the public. He depicting Trotsky in a devilish manner, trying to control Soviet Russia for his own benefits, not for the betterment of the state.
Nazi Germany is most commonly known for being anti-Semitic. However, they were also against the Roman Catholic Church. Like most other totalitarian states, they were against anything that came in the way of complete power. Religion plays a major role in many people's lives. Often a question is whether to follow the laws of religion or the laws of the state. In most people's lives, they have struggled with which is more important to follow. The propaganda below shows the Nazi stabbing the Bible, saying it is the enemy of the state. This depiction of the evils of the Bible was an attempt to manipulate people to believe that the Bible would do no good to the people. In fact, it was the enemy. Why would you love your enemy? Once again, propaganda was used to attempt to change the way the citizens saw their world. Only what the government believed was true, would be what the people would be able to see and believe. A very popular type of propaganda in Germany usually tried to convince their men to join the army and support the war effort.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/propaganda
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http://www.studenthandouts.com/Leon-Trotsky-Lev-Davidovich-Bronstein-USSR-Peace-and-Freedom-in-Sovdepiya-Anti-Semitic-White-Army-Propaganda-Poster-1919.jpg
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