PROPAGANDA AND PERCEPTION MANAGEMENT AS A SECURITIZATION TOOL: POSTERS IN WORLD WAR II

Since the first regular armies of the history, military psychology also has been a determinant in deciding the winner or the loser of the war, in addition to many factors such as military strategy, technologic advancement level, supply support, quality of soldiers, capabilities in the field, and maneuverability. A new field of psychology has emerged as a result of the increase in civilian casualties with the expansion of the battle fronts to include civilians in World War I. State officials have become more concerned with the perception of war by the society in order to gain the support of public and people and they also use the propaganda elements appealing to the eyes, as well as the speeches in order to convince societies of the necessity and justifications of the war. Since the beginning of the 20th century, banners and posters have been used as a propaganda tool to manage the perception of society. This study aims to reveal how propaganda and perception management were carried out through the use of banners and posters during the World War II by providing examples and to shed a light on its similarity with today’s “securitization” process. In order to understand how the “securitization” process used by decision-makers works, it is important to analyze the activities of propaganda and perception management. Literature review was used as a qualitative research method and data collection technique in this study and the content of the banners and posters of this period was examined. In this research, propaganda and perception management activities which is conducted as an element of war has been found that it is one of the most important methods for changing the course of the war, leading societies and gaining the support of individuals.