German Propaganda and World War I

David Welch

Mobilising the Nation for War

The First World War made greater demands on the material and human resources of the nations involved than any previous conflict. It was no longer sufficient simply to organise industry or to mobilise manpower in order to carry a modern state through a long war. Of course it would prove to be a war of intense industrial competition and scientific innovation; the manufacture of arms and munitions became critically important. But equally important was the need to engage the will and support of whole nations. For the first time belligerent governments were required to mobilise entire civilian populations into ‘fighting communities’. Consequently all governments were faced with the urgent task of justifying their entry into the war to their own people. In Germany the necessity for the Imperial Government to generate popular support in the first phase of the war was largely superfluous. The immediate emotional impact of the announcement of war led to a sense of unity and togetherness on the part of the German people, which invariably manifested itself in an hysterical hatred of the ‘outsider’ or enemy. This unity was symbolized in the so-called Burgfrieden (political truce). The concept of the Burgfrieden is crucial to understanding the nature of Imperial war propaganda and provides the fulcrum upon which it developed.

When Britain declared war on Germany and the political parties agreed to a Burgfrieden (literally, ‘fortress truce’, but in practice, a ‘political truce’), the nation appeared united behind a banner of a fully justified war of self-defence. In Germany, in particular, the war seemed (initially at least) to create a new sense of solidarity in which class antagonisms were transcended by a ‘national community’ (Volksgemeinschaft). The belief in such a community spirit was cemented on 4 August, shortly after Britain declared war on Germany. A ceremonial session of the Reichstag was held in the White Hall of the Imperial Palace where the Kaiser, wearing an army uniform, outlined Germany’s war aims in a speech from the throne. Re-affirming Germany’s obligation to defend her ally, he stressed that the war was not one of conquest, but to maintain the nation’s economic and political position. After reading his speech, he handed the manuscript to the Chancellor and continued freely in a raised voice: "From this day on, I recognise no parties, but only Germans. If the party leaders agree with me on this matter, I invite them to step forward and confirm this with a handshake." To wild applause the leaders of the competing parties stepped forward and extended their hands: the Burgfrieden, or ‘spirit of 1914’ had entered into German war mythology. James Gerard, the American Ambassador, noted the excitement of large crowds in Berlin "parading the streets singing ‘Deutschland űber Alles’, and demanding war." [1] Similar demonstrations clamouring for war took place in Leipzig, and were described by one historian who witnessed the scenes as "a soaring religious sentiment… the ascent of a whole people to the heights." [2] An excited young Adolf Hitler was captured in the photograph of the cheering crowd that gathered in the Odeonsplatz in Munich on 2 August. He later wrote that he was "carried away by the enthusiasm of the moment and I sank down upon my knees and thanked heaven out of the fullness of my heart for the favour of having been permitted to live in such a time." [3]