Writers' War Board
Encyclopedia
The Writers' War Board was the main domestic propaganda
organization in the US during World War II
. Privately organized and run, it coordinated American writers with the government.
in the US during World War I
, and the fascist regimes propaganda machinery, the US had adopted a "strategy of truth" whereby they would disseminate information but not try to influence the public directly through propaganda. However, seeing the value and need of propaganda ways were found to circumvent official policy.
The Writers' War Board was organized by Rex Stout
two days after Pearl Harbor
. Albeit privately owned it was established expressly to promote government policy and received government funding. Originally intended to promote the sales of war bonds, it soon grew into a liaison office between writers and the government. They both responded to official requests and initiated their own campaigns. Many of the writers involved regarded their work as quicker and bolder than governmental efforts. The board compiled files on four thousands writers, with their regions and fields of expertise.
It worked according to an employee as "an arm of the government". And the activities were so extensive that it has been called the " greatest propaganda machine in history". The idea of a Writers' War Board was first proposed by Henry Morgenthau, Jr. It was chaired by Rex Stout
, who also led the Society for the Prevention of World War III
. The government subsidies were funneled through the United States Office of War Information
.
After Congress restricted the activities of the domestic branch of the Office of War Information in mid 1943 the role and importance of the Writers' War Board increased significantly.
and distributed them for propaganda purposes, which aided in the staging of thousands of commemorations of the book burnings.
From 1944 until 1948 prominent US policy makers launched a domestic propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the U.S. public to agree to a harsh peace for the German people
, for example by removing the common view of the German people and the Nazi party as separate entities. The core in this campaign was the Writers' War Board which was closely associated with the Roosevelt administration.
Propaganda
Propaganda is a form of communication that is aimed at influencing the attitude of a community toward some cause or position so as to benefit oneself or one's group....
organization in the US during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Privately organized and run, it coordinated American writers with the government.
Purpose
Due to the public skepticism of propaganda due to the heavy handed efforts of the Committee on Public InformationCommittee on Public Information
The Committee on Public Information, also known as the CPI or the Creel Committee, was an independent agency of the government of the United States created to influence U.S. public opinion regarding American participation in World War I...
in the US during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and the fascist regimes propaganda machinery, the US had adopted a "strategy of truth" whereby they would disseminate information but not try to influence the public directly through propaganda. However, seeing the value and need of propaganda ways were found to circumvent official policy.
The Writers' War Board was organized by Rex Stout
Rex Stout
Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
two days after Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
. Albeit privately owned it was established expressly to promote government policy and received government funding. Originally intended to promote the sales of war bonds, it soon grew into a liaison office between writers and the government. They both responded to official requests and initiated their own campaigns. Many of the writers involved regarded their work as quicker and bolder than governmental efforts. The board compiled files on four thousands writers, with their regions and fields of expertise.
It worked according to an employee as "an arm of the government". And the activities were so extensive that it has been called the " greatest propaganda machine in history". The idea of a Writers' War Board was first proposed by Henry Morgenthau, Jr. It was chaired by Rex Stout
Rex Stout
Rex Todhunter Stout was an American writer noted for his detective fiction. Stout is best known as the creator of the larger-than-life fictional detective Nero Wolfe, described by reviewer Will Cuppy as "that Falstaff of detectives." Wolfe's assistant Archie Goodwin recorded the cases of the...
, who also led the Society for the Prevention of World War III
Society for the Prevention of World War III
The Society for the Prevention of World War III was an organization set up in the U.S. in 1944 during World War II that advocated a harsh peace for Germany in order to completely remove Germany as a future military threat....
. The government subsidies were funneled through the United States Office of War Information
United States Office of War Information
The United States Office of War Information was a U.S. government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. It operated from June 1942 until September 1945...
.
After Congress restricted the activities of the domestic branch of the Office of War Information in mid 1943 the role and importance of the Writers' War Board increased significantly.
Campaigns
The Board compiled lists of books banned or burned in Nazi GermanyNazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
and distributed them for propaganda purposes, which aided in the staging of thousands of commemorations of the book burnings.
From 1944 until 1948 prominent US policy makers launched a domestic propaganda campaign aimed at convincing the U.S. public to agree to a harsh peace for the German people
Morgenthau Plan
The Morgenthau Plan, proposed by United States Secretary of the Treasury Henry Morgenthau, Jr., advocated that the Allied occupation of Germany following World War II include measures to eliminate Germany's ability to wage war.-Overview:...
, for example by removing the common view of the German people and the Nazi party as separate entities. The core in this campaign was the Writers' War Board which was closely associated with the Roosevelt administration.
See also
- Society for the Prevention of World War IIISociety for the Prevention of World War IIIThe Society for the Prevention of World War III was an organization set up in the U.S. in 1944 during World War II that advocated a harsh peace for Germany in order to completely remove Germany as a future military threat....
- United States Office of War InformationUnited States Office of War InformationThe United States Office of War Information was a U.S. government agency created during World War II to consolidate government information services. It operated from June 1942 until September 1945...
- American propaganda during World War IIAmerican propaganda during World War IIDuring World War II, American propaganda was used to increase support for the war and commitment to an Allied victory. Using a wide variety of media, propagandists fomented hatred for the enemy and support for America's allies, urged greater public effort for war production and victory gardens,...
- Propaganda in the United StatesPropaganda in the United StatesPropaganda in the United States comes from governments and private entities of various kinds. Propaganda is information, ideas, or rumors deliberately spread widely to influence opinions and encite action...
- Council on Books in WartimeCouncil on Books in WartimeThe Council on Books in Wartime was an American non-profit organization founded by booksellers, publishers, librarians, authors, and others, in the spring of 1942 to channel the use of books as "weapons in the war of ideas"...