Here are clips of propaganda films that showed a little bit of what was going on at the battlefront. It also shows how America (along with Germany, Britian, Russia, and Italy), used propaganda to gander support for the war efforts.
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
Military Family Communication during the World War Era
Shortly after the Civil War telephones were invented, but they were not the most exciting form of communication that came about during this time. By World War I, the radio had been invented. This made it easier for people to communicate over long distances (country to country), and it made it possible for not only military families to hear about their loved ones, but for the whole nation to rally together in support of the troops.
Film was also a major development at this time, as it allowed for propaganda to be spread easier and faster to the masses. It also allowed for video news to be shared with Americans before television came about.
By the end of World War II, though, television had reached 50 million viewers, and it was a viable way to rely information about the war. Shortly after, shows like 'Hogan's Heroes' were created to parody the war.
Modern movies, like 'Valkyrie' also show us how military units used teleprompter or fax machine type devices to relay information quickly about military plans, deaths, and orders. It would have allowed secretaries to quickly type letters informing the families of soldiers that their loved one had died or gone missing.
This is when basic communication as we know it in a technological era today was formed and first developed to convey news about the home front. It is not only exciting to see how far we have come since then, but to see how far they had come since the Civil War in being able to communicate information from the soldiers to the families.
The following is a link to authentic radio newscasts from 1940-1945. I highly encourage you to have a listen:
http://www.otr.net/?p=news
Next, we will see how communication technology in modern-day can help families communicate with each other.
Film was also a major development at this time, as it allowed for propaganda to be spread easier and faster to the masses. It also allowed for video news to be shared with Americans before television came about.
By the end of World War II, though, television had reached 50 million viewers, and it was a viable way to rely information about the war. Shortly after, shows like 'Hogan's Heroes' were created to parody the war.
Modern movies, like 'Valkyrie' also show us how military units used teleprompter or fax machine type devices to relay information quickly about military plans, deaths, and orders. It would have allowed secretaries to quickly type letters informing the families of soldiers that their loved one had died or gone missing.
This is when basic communication as we know it in a technological era today was formed and first developed to convey news about the home front. It is not only exciting to see how far we have come since then, but to see how far they had come since the Civil War in being able to communicate information from the soldiers to the families.
The following is a link to authentic radio newscasts from 1940-1945. I highly encourage you to have a listen:
http://www.otr.net/?p=news
Next, we will see how communication technology in modern-day can help families communicate with each other.
War Communication to the Home Front During the Civil War
It's amazing how far we've come in the past 150 years with regards to how military families communicate with their loved ones while they are overseas. This topic means a lot to me and my fellow students as many of them have been a member of a military family and we live in a military town. The next three posts will look at how military families communicated during the different time periods that we have been studying in class.
First, I would like to talk about communication during the Civil War. We made amazing technological advancements around this time period that allowed people to communicate faster and over longer distances. During the Civil War, the most prominent form of communication was the Telegraph. The telegraph charged by word and messages were therefore kept very short, much like Twitter is today. Movies like 'Gone With the Wind' showed us how telegrams were used to convey soldier deaths to the families and from immediate families to extended families.
Pictures also developed greatly over this time period. While they were not mass produced, pictures of the war and the soldiers were available for books and newspapers to show the public what it was like behind the scenes of the battlefront.
While telegrams were certainly faster to recieve than letters, it was still a while for families to wait for news about their loved ones. One can only imagine what it is like to wait for days or weeks to find out if your loved one is still alive.
First, I would like to talk about communication during the Civil War. We made amazing technological advancements around this time period that allowed people to communicate faster and over longer distances. During the Civil War, the most prominent form of communication was the Telegraph. The telegraph charged by word and messages were therefore kept very short, much like Twitter is today. Movies like 'Gone With the Wind' showed us how telegrams were used to convey soldier deaths to the families and from immediate families to extended families.
Pictures also developed greatly over this time period. While they were not mass produced, pictures of the war and the soldiers were available for books and newspapers to show the public what it was like behind the scenes of the battlefront.
While telegrams were certainly faster to recieve than letters, it was still a while for families to wait for news about their loved ones. One can only imagine what it is like to wait for days or weeks to find out if your loved one is still alive.
Sunday, December 13, 2009
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