U.S. Propaganda Cartoons during WWII

The World War II era in America was marked by U.S. propaganda that sought to influence multiple generations on the war effort being fought. The overarching goal of WWII propaganda in the U.S. was to present America as being totally and completely in the right, their allies being in the right and their enemies being totally and completely wrong. One of the methods of distributing these propaganda messages and getting them out to the younger generation was through cartoons. The propaganda within these cartoons depicted U.S. enemies as being unintelligent and completely evil, creating lasting impact on the opinions of youth that lasted after war times.

From  1942 to 1945, Walt Disney was contracted by the U.S. government to create propaganda cartoons in order generate support for the war.  In the cartoons depictions of Germans, they were seen as manipulative and lacking morals.
 "Walt Disney Goes to War". Life magazine: August 1942. p. 61–69.

One of the more famous of these animated propaganda pieces was Education for Death- The Making of a Nazi, released January 15th 1943. The film is based on the non-fiction book of the same name by Gregor Ziemer.

Education for Death is a harrowing story of an innocent German boy who is turned into a savage soldiers through years of brainwashing by the Nazi government.

The short shows what German youths viewing Adolf Hitler a knight in shining armor rescuing a Valkyrie (Germany) who is under threat the threat of an evil witch (Democracy). Brainwashing as well as the strong pervading over the weak are common themes throughout the short.

It is not until nearly the end of the film where the most glaring aspects of propaganda take place. Hans and the other Nazi Soldiers replace the Bible with Mein Kamf, the crucifix with a Nazi sword and burn down the Catholic Church.  The Nazis were not out to destroy Christianity but rather use Christianity to defend their positions.


In the end Hans and his fellow soldiers are shown to be walking steadily to their graves, completing their education for death. The death of the Nazi's was of course just  assumption in  1943.  Of the WWII propaganda films created Education for Death is one of the more fact based and less offensive of the films released.  While the film is right not to sympathize with the Nazis It does create an overly simplistic view of Nazi Germany's goals and therefore an overly simplistic view the United States' enemies.



Another Cartoon released in 1943 by Walt Disney was Der Fuehrer's Face.  This film was much more in the vein of traditional propaganda.

The Germans Nazis are depicted as absurd caricatures and while Education for Death treated them as the threat, here they are depicted as a joke.  There is also a very stereotypical depiction of a Japanese solider who is shown with yellow skin and large buck teeth.

In the film Donald Duck dreams he is a Nazi.  He works at an ammunition factory and consistently hails Hitler whenever his face appears. This causes him to loose his sanity within the dream. Eventually he wakes up dressed in patriotic pajamas, hugs a miniature statue of liberty and proudly pronounces America.

Both Education for Death and Der Fuehrer's Face are banned cartoons, both are propaganda films and both are very different.  While some may justify these depictions of the German and Japanese by saying they were enemies during the time and needed to appear as enemies to children, the perceptions of these races most likely remained after the war.  While the Nazis and Japanese were responsible for horrible acts during WWII their depictions within these two films creates a racial association that goes beyond political associations and matters of war.  For children who are so easily influenced, a stereotypical caricature, does not define a war enemy but an entire people.  Japanese people especially, are still trying to overcome the stereotypes established by cartoons and comics that appeared during WWII.  Because of the associations and labels created by these depictions these cartoons are dangerous to susceptible minds but also important historical evidence that of the racism and stereotypes that permeated America, regardless of being in a time of war.  It is understandable why cartoons such as these as censored from appearing on television, not because they should not be seen, but because cartoons have an undeniable connection with children.  Cartoons such as these while historically important are not suitable for children at an age where they cannot separate stereotypes from reality.