Propagandam. English version

The Origin of the Term “Propaganda

The term “propaganda” originates from the Latin word propagare, meaning “to spread” or “to propagate.” In the 17th century, Pope Gregory XV founded the *Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith (Congregatio de Propaganda Fide), aimed at strengthening Catholicism and spreading Christian teachings among various peoples. Initially, this was a neutral term, simply denoting the dissemination of doctrine. The idea was to establish a structure that would attract people to the Catholic faith through education and active preaching, especially in countries where Protestantism threatened the dominant position of the Catholic Church.

With the rise of political movements, revolutions, and world wars in the 20th century, the term “propaganda” took on a new meaning and often became associated with manipulation, misinformation, and the subjugation of the masses to the will of a few. Today, propaganda is perceived as organized, targeted influence on people’s perceptions, attitudes, and behavior, often hiding its real goals or distorting the truth to achieve social, political, or economic objectives.

Historically, propaganda has always played a significant role in maintaining power, shaping public attitudes, promoting ideas, and motivating mass actions. Propaganda can influence public consciousness, unite people around common goals, and direct and adjust their behavior. Political leaders and ideologues have used it to maintain order, create images of enemies, suppress resistance, develop personality cults, and promote patriotic and revolutionary ideas.

But apart from propaganda, there are also concepts of persuasion and advertising. What’s the difference?

Persuasion – aims to achieve agreement through logic and argumentation without pressuring the audience, allowing freedom of choice.

Advertising – is focused on commercial interests and primarily seeks to create a positive attitude toward a product or brand. It doesn’t aim at widespread ideological change.

Propaganda – uses repetition, emotional impact, and psychological methods to change the perception, attitudes, and behavior of society according to specific ideological or political goals.

Ancient Origins: From Myths to Public Speeches

In ancient Greece and Rome, rhetoric was an art highly valued among the ruling elites. Politicians and philosophers used oratory skills to persuade and attract citizens to their side, shaping public opinion. For example, Demosthenes in Athens used his speeches to warn fellow citizens about the impending threat from Macedonia, using skillful rhetoric to convey his message.

In ancient Rome, the famous Cicero used oratory to shape perceptions and maintain order in society. He created images of enemies (like Catiline) to mobilize citizens against “internal threats.” These examples show how rhetoric and the art of persuasion became powerful, trusted methods of influence and were recognized as legitimate forms of impacting public consciousness.

Mythology was one of the earliest tools for managing mass consciousness. Myths in Greece, Rome, and other cultures were more than just stories about gods and heroes; they served to establish and reinforce cultural and ethical norms. For example, myths about Zeus or Hercules in Greece portrayed strength but also reflected societal values like courage and self-sacrifice. Common myths helped rulers shape cultural identity, foster social stability, and legitimize their power, portraying it as divinely sanctioned.

In ancient China, Confucian values and moral teachings played a central role in governance and maintaining order. Confucianism was taught as a foundational philosophy, promoting ideals of obedience to authority, loyalty, and moral living. Propaganda was implemented through education, adherence to moral norms, and stories about great rulers and sages passed down through generations, sustaining the traditional hierarchical system.

The Middle Ages and Religious Propaganda

In medieval Europe, the Catholic Church actively used propaganda to spread its ideas and engage society in the Crusades. Through religious images and messages, the concept of a “holy war” was created, offering peasants and nobility alike the promise of forgiveness for sins and salvation for their souls if they joined the campaigns. The Church crafted and promoted images of Christian heroes willing to sacrifice everything to save the Holy Land, convincing people of the necessity to take up arms and make sacrifices for a higher purpose.

The Church actively created images of enemies of the faith, such as Muslims, heretics, and witches. These images helped unite believers and strengthen their devotion, creating fear and hatred toward the “unholy.” Propaganda about “purity of faith” shielded the Church from opposition and reinforced its control over society.

The invention of the printing press in the 15th century marked a turning point. Martin Luther used the printing press to spread his works, which accelerated the spread of Reformation ideas throughout Europe, giving access to texts that could be read even by less-educated populations. Literature became the first mass media capable of influencing a significant portion of society.

The Renaissance and the Birth of Nationalism

The Renaissance, beginning in the 14th century, marked the birth of new media channels – such as engravings and newspapers – that played a crucial role in disseminating political and social ideas. Topics like citizens’ rights, the role of the monarchy, and religion became subjects of public discussion and exchange, and these channels were the precursors to modern media.

During this period, ideas of national identity began to form, and many states used propaganda to create a common sense of belonging among their citizens. For instance, in England and France, royal authorities began promoting national symbols, traditions, and cultural images to foster pride and patriotism.

Many monarchies, particularly absolutist ones like Louis XIV’s France, used propaganda to create the image of the king as a divine ruler. Through art, literature, and rituals, royal courts fostered an ideology supporting the status of the ruler as the “god-king.” The image of power was built with symbols and ceremonies designed to create a personality cult around the king.

The Enlightenment and Revolutions

The Enlightenment, beginning in the 18th century, heralded a new approach to society and politics, based on reason, science, and ideas of individual freedom. During this time, philosophers like Voltaire, Rousseau, and Locke propagated ideas about human rights, social justice, and equality. Their works were spread in pamphlets and brochures, laying the intellectual groundwork for revolutionary movements. These publications became accessible to a broad readership, fostering political mobilization and forming new social ideals.

Enlightenment ideals – particularly of freedom, equality, and fraternity – became the cornerstones of the American and French Revolutions. During the American struggle for independence, leaflets and pamphlets criticized the British monarchy and promoted independence. Thomas Paine’s influential pamphlet *Common Sense* (1776) used simple, powerful slogans that reached a mass audience, mobilizing support for revolutionary ideas.

In France, documents like the *Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen* became not only a legal document but also a powerful propaganda tool, encouraging citizens to take revolutionary action. Revolutionary publications actively spread the ideals of the revolution and used visual symbols (e.g., Jacobin symbols and the red Phrygian cap), instilling a sense of pride and engagement in the populace.

After the revolutions, the newly formed states needed to create new national myths to strengthen their identity and legitimize authority. Symbols and ideas, such as the “free American” or “rights of man and citizen,” became national unifiers and the basis for new political and social structures. These myths were actively supported through literature, art, and state events, shaping mass consciousness and nurturing civic virtues.

The 20th Century

The 20th century became the era of large-scale use of propaganda as a tool to consolidate power in totalitarian regimes such as Nazi Germany. Joseph Goebbels, the Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, extensively used radio, cinema, and press to create the image of Hitler as the savior of the German nation and spread the idea of Aryan supremacy. Propaganda materials instilled in citizens that the state was a single organism defending them from external and internal enemies.

In the Soviet Union, propaganda was a key element in creating the “new Soviet man” and maintaining Stalin’s image as the “father of the nation.” Posters, films, and mass events cultivated patriotic spirit and loyalty to the state. Soviet propaganda also created images such as the “enemy of the people,” used to suppress opposition and manipulate public opinion.

After World War II, the Cold War began, marking an ideological struggle between East and West. Propaganda became a global weapon in the contest between capitalism and socialism. The U.S. and the USSR used radio, television, newspapers, and film to spread their ideals. Radio stations like “Voice of America” and “Radio Liberty” broadcasted in Eastern Europe, promoting Western values like “freedom” and “democracy.” The USSR, in turn, used propaganda to create enemy images and spread narratives critical of the West, accusing it of imperialism and threatening the socialist system.

The Age of the Internet and Digital Media

In the 21st century, digital media has become a powerful channel for spreading propaganda. With the advent of the internet and social media, traditional state structures lost their monopoly over information flows, and today anyone can disseminate information or disinformation. Social media enables the creation and promotion of content that can reach millions within a short time frame. Platforms also allow targeted messaging using algorithms that select the most relevant content, making manipulation of consciousness more effective.

The emergence of the internet also gave rise to the phenomenon of post-truth, where subjective opinions and emotions become more influential than objective facts. Fake news and conspiracy theories spread globally, causing social unrest and undermining trust in traditional media and experts. This environment creates favorable conditions for propaganda, as people increasingly rely on information that aligns with their views and reject information that contradicts their beliefs.

Modern social movements and activist groups use the internet to organize, spread ideas, and mobilize mass support. Cyber activism covers various topics – from human rights to political campaigns – and uses both the internet and traditional forms of propaganda. Platforms like YouTube allow direct access to millions, enabling activists to control the message and interact with the audience, avoiding traditional media.

In the modern world, with the development of artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and neural networks, propaganda faces new technological possibilities for manipulating public consciousness.

In this chapter, we delve into the tools and strategies that make propaganda so effective and resilient. Propaganda is more than just the dissemination of information; it comprises an entire arsenal of methods to manipulate perception, elicit certain emotions, and shape people’s thinking. The main tools of propaganda include carefully crafted language and narrative, the use of emotional triggers, and influence through mass media. Let’s examine each of these elements, with illustrative examples, to understand how they impact public consciousness.

How Propaganda Language is Constructed

Language is one of the most powerful tools through which propaganda penetrates people’s minds. It affects emotions and the subconscious, influencing perception. Propagandists know how to choose words that evoke trust, fear, admiration, or hostility in the audience. For example, during wartime, negative terms like “aggressor,” “occupier,” or “terrorist” may be used to describe the enemy, creating a sense of hatred and threat.

In Nazi Germany, specific terminology was used to degrade and demonize certain population groups, labeling them as “subhumans” or “enemies of the people.” This fostered a negative attitude among the masses, perpetuated at the level of mass consciousness.

Another important element is the use of simple, short slogans and simplified narratives that are easy to remember. These slogans are “repeated so often that they become part of everyday language.” A classic example is the Soviet slogan, “Peace to the peoples, war to the enemies!” Slogans act as anchors, making propaganda more accessible to the general public by minimizing the complexity of information and making it more predictable in its reception.

Repetition is crucial in spreading propaganda, as the same message, repeated multiple times, is perceived as truth. This framing mechanism is actively used to cement a particular interpretation of events. For example, during the Cold War, Western media often described the Soviet Union as the “Evil Empire,” using this phrase to create a general image of threat and danger associated with the socialist bloc. Constant repetition established a lasting image that masses came to believe.