Advertising war: Picturing Belgium in First World War publicity

Abstract

With the German invasion of Belgium on 4 August 1914, Britain was given a noble cause. Not only had the Germans apparently violated an international treaty in their invasion of neutral land, but according to press reports they were showing no remorse as they committed alleged acts of atrocity upon the innocent nation. As the press justified the war in terms of the sanctity of the law and the safety of civilians, Britain’s involvement became difficult to dispute. The invasion of Belgium merged parliamentary and press support for the war and provided the two with a powerful tool that they fully intended to exploit. This article argues that because of Britain’s vast machinery for the production and distribution of propaganda, visual representations of the German invasion of Belgium had ramifications for the way that the meaning of the war was addressed to the British public. The plight of Belgium featured prominently in the British press during the first few months of war. Visual propaganda from both public and private concerns used rhetorical frameworks of national loyalty, gender and the family to manipulate public opinion. War advertising was instrumental in providing a link between the state and the masses. Also used by charities and other interest groups, it was perceived as a crucial and effective link to the public. Drawing from a collection of war advertising held at the Imperial War Museum, the author traces the way that both public and private concerns targeted the wave of ‘Belgianitis’ that was spreading across Britain at the time of their production, notably to justify and garner support for the war, to raise funds and promote recruitment.