This narrative engaged the British public through a familiar story structure

Typically, images published for the UK general public during the second world war featured either depictions of the heroism and bravery of soldier, or landscapes signifying the wider effect of the war.

used to rationalise the sacrifice being made by the soldiers on the front line of the conflict.

These images, and the articles which contextualised them, formed narratives intended to unite the general public under a common cause, as directed by the unity of the government and the press.

and takes the form of; exposition – the problem allied soldiers found themselves in); rising action – the problem developing; climax – resolution to the problem being revealed by allied soldiers; falling action – the allied soldiers resolving the problem; and the resolution – the conclusion to the problem.

government and press were able to inspire the general public to adopt ideas

inspire the general public to rally behind the war effort and help the troops in whatever way they could, such as through changes in their work or inconveniences in their daily lives.

enabling them to develop propaganda campaigns and foster public morale through an array of independent publications. With these methods of control being enforceable by law, it allowed the British government to create a unity between the press and themselves, with prominent publications relaying the same messaging from the government to the general public.

In accompaniment to this, the implementation of nation wide “paper rationing” reduced the amount of content newspapers were able to publish per issue (Historic Newspapers, 2016).

which heavily effected the stories the press were able to tell in regards to the war.

As mandated by the British government, the press published images of soldiers focussing on them as brave and heroic, rather than showing the toll and casualties the war was taking on the allied forces. This put a positive focus on the war effort, demonstrating the courageous virtuosity of the soldiers and the righteousness of the country to send them to war. These images were usually accompanied by stories following a structure akin to Freytag’s Pyramid (Fig. 1). This story structure is typical of popular works of fiction, and so served to sensationalise the conflict through an easily digestible format the public were used to. Through framing acts of war in this story structure, the British government and press avoided discussing details of specific acts of violence which took place during them, instead representing these events as cinematic vistas and broad actions taken as the country as a collective. Through this choice of imagery, and the narrative surrounding it, the British public reacted the way in which the government and press wanted, by rallying behind the war effort and accepting inconveniences and changes in their lives as necessary to them helping in whatever way they could. The British governments control over the press; the primary media circulator of the time; allowed them to spread focussed and direct nationalistic narratives leading to the users of the media to react unanimously in support of the images of conflict.

The ministry of information utilised the freedom of illustration to effectively curate narratives that promoted unity and collectiveness among the British home front by putting the focus of propaganda campaigns on the civilians living in Britain. These campaign tended to focus on what the general public could do to help the war effort, rather than examining the allied forced that were fighting the war. This helped to boost morale by avoiding the distressing thoughts of war and put the responsibility of action on the general public. Hutchinson (2014) puts forward the idea that when events such as war are covered by the media, it can create a sense of unity which motivates viewers to help in support of the cause. The Ministry of Information’s propaganda campaigns takes this concept a step further; as the concept war was naturally on the minds of the general public during World War Two, they were already ready to take action to support the cause, and thus when

Throughout the Second World War, the British government’s “Ministry of Information” was responsible for producing propaganda campaigns to maintain morale amongst the British home front (The National Archive, no date). The propaganda published during this time tended towards featuring illustrated or graphic works, rather than photography. This allowed for more control over what imagery was visible to the general public, with illustrations being able to be tailored to a specific propaganda campaigns needs. It also prevented the visibility of the realities of war that may have deteriorated morale amongst the home front. This enabled the ministry of information to fashion narratives around images which were direct, focussed, and effective.

Throughout the Second World War, the British government’s Ministry of Information was responsible for producing propaganda campaigns aimed at maintaining morale on the home front (The National Archives, no date). Much of the propaganda from this period relied on illustrated or graphic works rather than photography. This preference allowed the Ministry greater control over the imagery presented to the public, as illustrations could be carefully tailored to suit the objectives of specific campaigns. It also limited exposure to the harsh realities of war, which might otherwise have weakened civilian morale. Through this approach, the Ministry of Information was able to construct narratives that were direct, focused, and highly effective.

The Ministry of Information utilised the flexibility of illustration to curate narratives that fostered unity and collective identity on the British home front, focusing propaganda efforts on civilians rather than the armed forces. These campaigns typically emphasised what ordinary citizens could do to contribute to the war effort, rather than highlighting the actions of Allied soldiers. By doing so, they boosted morale, diverted attention from the distressing realities of war, and placed a sense of responsibility and agency on the general public. Hutchinson (2014) argues that media coverage of events such as war can generate a sense of solidarity that motivates audiences to offer support. The Ministry of Information’s propaganda extended this idea further: as the war was already a dominant concern in the public consciousness during the Second World War, civilians were primed to act in support of the national cause.