Delfina Ertanowska
University of Information Technology and Management in Rzeszow,
ul. Mjr H. Sucharskiego 2,
(Rzeszów, Poland)
DOI:
War Propaganda – Propaganda Cartoons in the Press: History and Present
Creators of propaganda utilize all available tools and technological advancements at their disposal. One such tool is visual communication. Many studies on visual propaganda focus on cinema and animated films, but it is also important to closely examine the development of wartime cartoons. Alongside war posters, they represent one of the earliest forms of visualizing war propaganda. The purpose of the article is to analyze and characterize propaganda cartoons using examples from history and the present as a form of war propaganda and an element of hybrid warfare tactics. Cartoons emerged with the development of print media and continue to exist in both paper and digital forms. Cartoons are a form of political commentary, but they can also serve as a tool for propaganda. With the advancement of technologies and the Internet, memes have also become part of this form of communication. This article analyzes the significance of various types of visual communication, specifically the graphic form of communication – illustrations, graphics in the press, caricatures, and Internet memes. It summarizes the milestones in the development of visual communication forms, from cave paintings to graphic images on the Internet. The most recent publications exploring the growing influence of visual mass media in contemporary society are also mentioned. Wartime cartoons are examined as a form of propaganda, with examples from history and the present. The article analyzes the images, plots, and characters of political caricatures and memes, highlighting the increasing use of graphic design programs for creating digital graphics. The focus is on historical examples from World War I and World War II, Russia’s aggression against Ukraine in 2014, and Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The role of memes, as a phenomenon of contemporary popular culture, is also discussed. Cartoons and memes are considered as an element of hybrid warfare tactics. The conclusions emphasize that with the advancement of technology, the graphic form of communication has evolved into a powerful tool for war propaganda, and that cartoons and memes on military subjects are a crucial component of hybrid warfare, a highly effective means of influencing the morale of the recipient.
Keywords: propaganda, caricatures, memes, press, war.
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