The Use Of Propaganda Throughout History

A World War I propaganda poster depicting Australia being taken over by Germany.

The word “propaganda” is often associated with negative connotations. Words like indoctrination, misinformation, or brainwashing may come to mind. It’s essential to recognize that propaganda is not inherently bad or harmful; it refers to the manipulation of information, including facts, arguments, rumors, half-truths, and lies, to influence public opinion. Propaganda is further characterized by its intent to further a chosen agenda, masking truths, presenting facts selectively, or using emotional language to incite a specific and targeted response from an audience. 

The ancient Egyptians communicated to the public using hieroglyphics, which they wrote on temples, monuments, and tombs. The inscriptions were both religious and propagandistic, glorifying pharaohs and their accomplishments, and were conveniently located so that they could be easily seen. At the heart of ancient Egyptian propaganda is the pharaoh, a “divine” being who requires a positive public image to maintain the social hierarchy. Through propaganda, pharaohs were meticulously depicted in idealized, godly forms, portraying to the masses that the pharaoh was to rule, regardless of circumstances. Artistic representations, such as statues, paintings, and reliefs, depicted pharaohs as powerful and kind rulers, emphasizing their divinity.

Moving on to Ancient Europe, their magnificent and artistic statues are much more renowned because centuries ago, literacy was incredibly low and often reserved for the elite. Therefore, visual imagery, such as statues or artwork, was the primary medium for communication. For instance, in ancient Rome, some historians claim that literacy rates were as low as 15%. Overall, visual imagery was the most effective way to convey a message, which is why the elite did everything in their power to make marble statues. For example, the Augustus of Prima Porta is a renowned marble statue of the first Roman emperor, Augustus, symbolizing his authority and achievements. The sculpture depicts Augustus in an idealized, god-like form, youthful, muscular, and clad in military attire. In many ways, this statue is the physical embodiment of ancient Roman culture, reflecting leadership, authority, and strength, all while broadcasting the emperor’s unrivaled virtue.

With the invention of the printing press in 1440 by Johannes Gutenberg, information could be easily disseminated, significantly boosting literacy rates and the ability to shape public opinion. This new ability to spread ideas rapidly influenced political events and social movements, often by promoting certain viewpoints while concealing others. Over time, this shift in communication shaped how governments and groups sought to influence people’s beliefs and actions. Without having to copy text by hand, books, newspapers, and any form of writing were copied with little to no effort, all the while allowing those who could afford a printing press to spread whatever information they pleased. This is best exemplified by the French Revolution, where thousands of copies of revolutionary pamphlets were produced overnight, spreading revolutionary ideals such as liberty, equality, and the separation of powers to everyone in French society. These pamphlets were generally written by intellectuals, though they sometimes took on other forms such as political cartoons and street plays.

Meanwhile, in the 20th century, as Europe plunged into all-out war in 1914, governments realized that there was more to war than just numerical victories or losses on the battlefield. Maintaining cohesion and strength as a country can lead to a more productive economy and prevent uprisings, thereby helping a country recover quickly from potential losses in war. In London, the Secret Elite transformed into the British War Propaganda Bureau under Lord Northcliffe, churning out pamphlets, postcards, and press leaks that painted the Germans as barbaric Huns. Lord Northcliffe was an incredibly influential man in British communications, as at the time, he controlled 40% of the morning newspaper circulation, 45% of the evening, and 15% of the Sunday circulation in Britain. Similarly, under the Wilson Administration, the U.S. Creel Committee adopted an all-out approach, mobilizing Hollywood directors, muckraking journalists, and celebrities to launch a grand propaganda scheme in support of America’s entry into World War I. This was of particular importance to President Wilson, as he faced great political opposition in the Senate from Henry Cabot Lodge, his longstanding rival. Simply put, the war needed to be popular for Wilson to be popular. In just 18 months, around 75,000 volunteers had given close to seven million four-minute speeches to more than 300 million listeners. The speakers urged Americans to sign up for the draft, ration food, hire unskilled labor for munitions work, and support Red Cross initiatives.

However, all of this pales in comparison to one specific country: North Korea. North Korea is often one of the first countries to come to the minds of many people when they hear the word “Propaganda,” and to an extent, they are not to blame. Propaganda in North Korea is a pervasive, state-engineered system rooted in Juche ideology and the Kim dynasty’s cult of personality. Every public space, without fail, is plastered with posters, murals, and statues of the Kim dynasty, who in order are known as Eternal President (Kim Il Sung), Eternal General Secretary (Kim Jong Il), and Respected Comrade (Kim Jong Un). Radio and tightly controlled newspapers reinforce anti-American and anti-Japanese narratives. At the same time, school curricula educate children about the struggle against American imperialism, while more importantly, excluding aspects of the modern world that the state chooses not to address, such as democracy, freedom, and civic participation. For example, isolationism in the 1990s was justified by Juche, which roughly means “self-sufficiency.” Because of this, a famine struck North Korea that claimed the lives of anywhere from 240,000 to 3.5 million North Koreans, though the exact number is unknown due to a lack of transparency from the government. Yet, propaganda depicted that Kim Jong Il was eating the same meager food as other North Koreans, although this was likely not the case.

In today’s digital era, propaganda has shifted to social media, where engagement-driven algorithms and influencer networks magnify far-right or far-left narratives and intensify political polarization. Social platforms prioritize sensational content, outrage, and even fear, creating echo chambers that reinforce extremist views and erode trust between ideological groups. Targeted political ads utilize psychographic profiling to deliver personalized messages and influence undecided voters towards taking certain positions. Studies show that repeated exposure to caricatured enemy narratives backfires, entrenching hostility rather than fostering dialogue. Troll farms and bot networks inject falsehoods into trending conversations, from election interference to pandemic misinformation, fueling radicalization. Viral media can stray away from the truth, and low oversight allows malicious users to hijack algorithms, undermining democratic norms and accelerating a global shift toward polarized politics. So, it is in the viewers’ hands to filter the content they see, ensure factuality, and determine what they choose to believe.