World War I propaganda photograph album

Collection — Box: 1

Identifier: MSS 457

Scope and Contents

This collection consists of an album of German propaganda from World War I. The cover page is a “How to Stop the War” leaflet encouraging American soldiers to stop fighting, arguing that they have nothing to fight for in Europe and “all the fine words about glory are tommy rot.” It suggests that life as a German prisoner of war is better than fighting and reminds them of the risk of bodily harm they incur by continuing to fight. The remaining approximately 120 pages of the album are comprised of photographs of soldiers with facial injuries that have led to visible differences.

Dates

circa 1917-1918

Conditions Governing Access

Access to this collection is restricted. Contact library staff for more information.

Conditions Governing Use

Use of this collection is restricted. Contact library staff for more information.

Biographical / Historical

German propaganda dropped on Allied troops encouraged soldiers to give up fighting and desert. The “How to Stop the War” leaflet appeals directly to the soldiers, saying that the war will end if they simply stop fighting and encouraging them to “get over” and cross No Man’s Land. The leaflet further alludes to the injury soldiers risk by continuing to fight.

Soldiers engaged in the trench warfare of World War I sustained facial injuries from bullets, shrapnel, and exploding shells. The initial treatment of these wounds was primary closure, or stitching the wound closed, however it was done regardless of lost flesh. This technique often caused significant anatomical distortions and disfigurement. British physicians began pioneering work in reconstructive surgery to repair facial injuries for Allied troops, but German surgeons did not have access to this knowledge and technology persisted with primary closure.

The "How to Stop the War" leaflet, supplemented with images displaying the disfigurement soldiers risked in trenches, was dropped on American troops as propaganda to encourage the soldiers to give up.

Extent

0.33 Linear feet (1 pamphlet box)

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Overview

This collection consists of an album of German propaganda from World War I. The cover page is a leaflet encouraging American soldiers to stop fighting, arguing that they have nothing to fight for and “all the fine words about glory are tommy rot.” The remaining pages of the album are comprised of photographs of soldiers with facial injuries that have led to visible differences.

Bibliography

Andrew, Bamji. “Soldiers with Broken Faces: Graphic Photos behind the Origins of Plastic Surgery on WW1 Casualties.” Forces News, November 2019. http://www.forcesnews.com/stories/soldiers-broken-faces-graphic-photos-behind-origins-plastic-surgery-ww1-casualties.

“The Birth of Plastic Surgery.” National Army Museum, 2017. http://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/birth-plastic-surgery#:~:text=Early%20treatment,their%20nose%20used%20to%20be.

Demm, Eberhard. “Propaganda at Home and Abroad / 1.1 / Handbook - 1914-1918-Online (WW1) Encyclopedia.” International Encyclopedia of the First World War, July 9, 2024. https://encyclopedia.1914-1918-online.net/article/propaganda-at-home-and-abroad-1-1/.