Punic War Propaganda

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that the Punic Wars were between Punic and Rome, starting in 264 B.C.E. and ending in 146 B.C.E., and were for control of the central Mediterranean Sea, which eventually resulted in Roman Empire's massive military forces subduing Carthage. The author points out a specific psychological poster made by the Romans, during the Punic Wars, to influence the Roman citizens as to the importance of the war and to imply that their participation in it would give them a sense of pride. The paper contends that this poster works because it neither belittles the enemy nor targets the wrong audience; rather, it correctly identifies its objective and glorifies its own resources instead of wrongly focusing on its enemy's attributes. The paper includes examples of Nazi and Japanese war propaganda.

Table of Contents
Punic Wars
War and Propaganda
The Selected Poster and Its Effectiveness

From the Paper:

"The use of this poster was all about manipulation of emotions. During the war, people are often confused as to how they should react to the situation. Sometimes the media with its various tactics steps in the picture to make people's decisions for them and to help them think in a certain manner. Their emotions are manipulated and use to politicians' advantage. We can better understand this by the help of another example. During the Nazi period, the German government wanted to win the support of nation on the issue of driving Jews out of the country and killing them. The government tried to play with the emotions of people by issuing a leaflet "The Girl You Left Behind"."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Mirren Guiterrez, The 'Prop-Agenda' at War29, Inter Press Service, June 27, 2004
• Linebarger, Paul Myron Anthony. Psychological Warfare, Combat Forces Press, Washington. 1954

More papers on Punic War Propaganda:

• Cause and Effect Essay # 124196 : "Punic Wars"
• Essay # 84404 : "The Pride of the Punic Wars"
• Cause and Effect Essay # 146980 : "The Punic Wars"

APA Citation:

MLA Citation: