The origin of the word propaganda is Pope Gregory XV who used the word to mean the dissemination of information. If we were to accept this definition then everything intended to reach masses of people should be labeled propaganda. However; the term propaganda now has a negative connotation due to WWI and the rise of imperialistic states in the 20th century including Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. Two of the most notable pieces of propaganda to come out of these empires are the films The Battleship Potemkin (Sergei Eisenstein, 1925, Soviet Russia) and Triumph of the Will (Leni Riefenstahl, 1935, Nazi Germany). Propaganda is often defined to be “the spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person” and while these films are noted as some of the greatest examples of propaganda in history, are they truly necessary (Merriam-Webster)? Do they truly help Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia?
No, these films are cannot truly be called necessary because ultimately they were simply reinforcement. In 1925 Soviet Russia change from the Tsarist regime had already been occurring for years with the New Economic Policy and the masses were able to see changes in their way of life before The Battleship Potemkin was released. It is true that Lenin’s death in 1924 had caused a power struggle, however; this struggle stayed mostly within the Soviet Party and most people were not directly affected until Stalin commenced his Five Year Plans in 1927. Lenin was already actively changing the system that people were so unhappy with prior to the film’s release and The Battleship Potemkin was ultimately a reinforcement of the idea that the Bolsheviks were the heroes of Russia. The film cannot stand on its own; it was the actions of the Bolsheviks that convinced the population that change was coming so the film was not necessary and would have been pointless had the Bolshevik’s actions been ineffective.
This is also true in Nazi Germany. Prior to the release of Triumph of the Will; Hitler had already demonstrated to the German people that change was arriving by his rejection of the Treaty of Versailles. The masses were already glad of the actions that Hitler was taking and so the film was simply an attempt to reinforce the positive attitudes towards Hitler. However; this reinforcement would not pointless if people would not have already seen Hitler as a positive change. As WWII progressed and conditions became worst in Nazi Germany many people become disenchanted with Hitler and no amount of propaganda could change that attitude. This suggests that propaganda can only be used as reinforcement. It will only be effective if conditions are viewed as positive and thus propaganda cannot stand on its own.
A more modern example of this can be seen with a McDonald’s commercial. If you have had a Big Mac prior to seeing the commercial and found it disgusting the commercial would not make you want to go and buy one. However; if you loved the taste of a Big Mac and saw the commercial then you would be more likely to see the commercial and desire a Big Mac. Ultimately the commercial will only work on audiences that already favor the product while being infective towards audiences who do not. This same principle can be noted with Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. If there had been no positive action by the governments in power then the films would have been completely ineffective. Thus propaganda is useless in trying to convince someone who is of the opposing view, but can be useful in reinforcing positive feelings of someone already convinced.
propaganda. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda
No, these films are cannot truly be called necessary because ultimately they were simply reinforcement. In 1925 Soviet Russia change from the Tsarist regime had already been occurring for years with the New Economic Policy and the masses were able to see changes in their way of life before The Battleship Potemkin was released. It is true that Lenin’s death in 1924 had caused a power struggle, however; this struggle stayed mostly within the Soviet Party and most people were not directly affected until Stalin commenced his Five Year Plans in 1927. Lenin was already actively changing the system that people were so unhappy with prior to the film’s release and The Battleship Potemkin was ultimately a reinforcement of the idea that the Bolsheviks were the heroes of Russia. The film cannot stand on its own; it was the actions of the Bolsheviks that convinced the population that change was coming so the film was not necessary and would have been pointless had the Bolshevik’s actions been ineffective.
This is also true in Nazi Germany. Prior to the release of Triumph of the Will; Hitler had already demonstrated to the German people that change was arriving by his rejection of the Treaty of Versailles. The masses were already glad of the actions that Hitler was taking and so the film was simply an attempt to reinforce the positive attitudes towards Hitler. However; this reinforcement would not pointless if people would not have already seen Hitler as a positive change. As WWII progressed and conditions became worst in Nazi Germany many people become disenchanted with Hitler and no amount of propaganda could change that attitude. This suggests that propaganda can only be used as reinforcement. It will only be effective if conditions are viewed as positive and thus propaganda cannot stand on its own.
A more modern example of this can be seen with a McDonald’s commercial. If you have had a Big Mac prior to seeing the commercial and found it disgusting the commercial would not make you want to go and buy one. However; if you loved the taste of a Big Mac and saw the commercial then you would be more likely to see the commercial and desire a Big Mac. Ultimately the commercial will only work on audiences that already favor the product while being infective towards audiences who do not. This same principle can be noted with Nazi Germany and Soviet Russia. If there had been no positive action by the governments in power then the films would have been completely ineffective. Thus propaganda is useless in trying to convince someone who is of the opposing view, but can be useful in reinforcing positive feelings of someone already convinced.
propaganda. (2009). In Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary.
Retrieved October 12, 2009, from http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/propaganda
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