Colorful, Spatial Propaganda. creation of horrors. This aids in the word s having a negative connotation today. Many, especially in

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1 Colorful, Spatial Propaganda Lyle Seebeck 5/25/2016 The Nazis went down in history as the archetypical example of how propaganda can aid in the creation of horrors. This aids in the word s having a negative connotation today. Many, especially in the West, believe in the righteousness of the Allied cause as it fought against a fascist empire that believed in racial cleansing. Fewer understand the role that propaganda had in furthering said righteous cause. For example, the myth that carrots improve one s eyesight spread because the British Royal Air Force found success in repelling the German Luftwaffe and could not afford for the Germans to discover that the reason was new, superior radar technology. 1 Hence the carrot myth that some believe to this day. Of course this is relatively harmless and a good way to encourage one s kids to eat vegetables. We shall see from examining this map by Stanley Turner (fig. 1) that Allied propaganda extends to maps as well. As said by the American director of the Office of War Information in 1942: the enemy is using [propaganda] very effectively. To refuse to use it against him makes about as much sense as refusing to shoot at the enemy for fear you might hurt him. 2 The first thing we must note when considering the making of this map is that the map s maker is Canadian (born in England), 3 the map was made in Canada, and the map was published in Toronto. We see the close ties between Canada and Britain both from common knowledge and from details on the map. Canada was and is a part of the British Commonwealth. Turner notes that Canada declared war on Germany just seven days after Britain (recall that the USA sat it out for over two additional years), that the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan was in Canada, and that Canada raided along with the British in the Atlantic in The map goes further than to suggest that Canada needs to maintain its close relationship with Britain for the duration of the war. By featuring every continent save for Antarctica on the map, and by noting United States aid before their joining the war (e.g. 1 Smith 2 Perry 3 Saskatchewan NAC 1

2 Greenland under U.S.A. protection Sep. 40 note that it is implied who the States are protecting Greenland from), Turner tells the viewer that worldwide teamwork is required in order to stop what he describes as a black cloud [spreading] over the heaving crust of Europe [that] is a constant reminder of the tremendous job ahead before the forces of freedom win a complete victory on land, on sea and in the air. The forces of freedom are not limited to one geographic area but rather extend around the world, or so Turner implies. However Turner makes sure to remind the viewer that the Soviets are only temporary freedom fighters if they are at all. He does this by placing British & U.S. agree to send aid to Russia Oct directly above Russia signs pact with Nazis Aug Therefore this map also functions as preemptive Cold War propaganda in a sense. Speaking of the black cloud, we see in Turner s map a clear message of hope and confidence that the Allied cause will pull through. Naturally, the political state of Germany s occupied territories varied from territory to territory. Take for example the contrast between Occupied France and Vichy France. These are important contrasts for a detailed mapmaker to note. The viewer will note that the only black on the map is the Reich proper. Even the Sudetenland, annexed by the Nazis in the infamous Munich Agreement a little under a year before the start of the war, is colored green. A glance at the legend will confirm green to denote territory conquered by the Nazis. Putting aside the fact that the Sudetenland was not conquered by the Nazis so much as gifted to them, one must appreciate the level of detail Turner has for the political state of various territories. However, green is not black. Turner specifically calls the Nazi cause a black cloud that is spreading, though the black on his map is not spreading at all. Consider the contrast between Turner s map and this map seen by the author of this essay while visiting Normandy (fig. 2,3,4). This series of maps of course shows the Allied advance against Germany that ended the war on the European front. But here we have much more of a black cloud than in Turner s map. That is because the Normandy maps aim to show the triumph of good in the face of a blanket of evil and because Turner wants to convey a message of hope that Europe will return to a collection of many smaller countries after the coming Allied victory. We 2

3 also see in the Turner map less of an impression of the cloud actually spreading. While there are arrows pointing to the Nazi advance (into Russia), the map still gives an overall appearance of being static. Again, this helps with the impression that the Nazis will be stopped. No analysis of propaganda would be complete without considering the intended audience and the intended purpose of the map. It is safe to say the map is for Allied eyes only. The maps served multiple purposes. Turner s map was one of three (1942, 1944, 1945) that was published by an advertising agency, licensed to businesses in both the United States and Canada, given custom brand logos, and given out to customers. The customers received descriptive information about the war, which explained why certain military actions or maneuvers took place when and where they did. 4 Of course in addition to provide this information and advertise for various products, the maps propagandized Americans and Canadians. As with all maps, the Turner map reflects the ideas of the mapmaker concerning the area he is mapping. In this case our mapmaker is mapping the entire world and clearly feels as through the Allied cause is just. He seems to feel confident that the war will be won. His map is widely distributed during wartime. His map transmits his ideas to many people across North America. Therefore his map is propaganda. As a 21 st Century American I would say that hopefully his map made a positive difference in the war. 4 Onion 3

Portland, Maine Figure 2: The War Against Germany 7 December

4 Figure 1: Dated Events World War Map by Stanley Turner A.R.G.A. Photo taken by Lyle Seebeck at the Osher Map Library in Portland, Maine Figure 2: The War Against Germany 7 December June 1943 photo taken by Lyle Seebeck in Normandy, France 4

Figure 3: The War Against Germany 1 June 1943 31

France Figure 4: The War Against Germany 1 August 1944

5 Figure 3: The War Against Germany 1 June August 1944 photo taken by Lyle Seebeck in Normandy, France Figure 4: The War Against Germany 1 August May 1945 photo taken by Lyle Seebeck in Normandy, France 5

6 Works Cited Onion, Rebecca. "The Info-Dense Maps Civilians Used to Follow WWII From the Home Front." Slate Magazine. January 23, Accessed May 25, r_event_maps.html. Perry, John. "War Propaganda for Democracy." The Public Opinion Quarterly 6, no. 3 (1942): "Saskatchewan Artist." Saskatchewan NAC. Accessed May 25, Shirer, William L. The Rise and Fall of the Third Reich; a History of Nazi Germany. New York: Simon and Schuster, Smith, K. Annabelle. "A WWII Propaganda Campaign Popularized the Myth That Carrots Help You See in the Dark." Smithsonian.com. August 13, Accessed May 25, Turner, Stanley. "Dated Events, World War Map, by Stanley Turner." David Rumsey Map Collection. Accessed May 25, World-War-map,-by-Sta. 6

What caused World War II

What caused World War II A variety of reasonable answers 1. World War I & The Treaty of Versailles 2. The Rise of Totalitarian Governments 3. Failure of the League of Nations 4. Nationalism and Aggression