The first proposal to construct a special bomb with which to disperse airborne leaflets was put forward by British air force officers during World War II. During the Phoney War most of the Royal Air Force's operations consisted of airborne leaflet dropping, as the United Kingdom wanted Nazi Germany to be the first country to begin strategic bombing of civilian areas in order to avoid deterring neutral powers such as the United States from supporting the Allies. "Fortress Europe has no roof" - British propaganda leaflet dropped over Germany in 1943.ĭistribution of airborne leaflet propaganda was used by both Allied and Axis forces in the Second World War, starting with a Royal Air Force leaflet drop over the port of Kiel in September 1939. In 1915, the British began airdropping a regular leaflet newspaper Le Courrier de l'Air for civilians in German-occupied France and Belgium. Even General Paul von Hindenburg admitted that "Unsuspectingly, many thousands consumed the poison" and POWs admitted to being disillusioned by the propaganda leaflets that depicted the use of German troops as mere cannon fodder. Īt least one in seven of these leaflets were not handed in by the soldiers to their superiors, despite severe penalties for that offence. The hydrogen balloon would drift over no-man's land to land in the enemy trenches. Fleming invented the unmanned leaflet balloon in 1917, and these were used extensively in the latter part of the War, with over 48,000 units produced. The Germans began shooting the leaflet-dropping pilots, prompting the British to develop an alternative method of delivery. In August 1918, the famous Italian nationalist writer, poet and fighter pilot Gabriele D'Annunzio, organized the Flight over Vienna: a famous propaganda operation during the war, leading 9 Ansaldo SVA planes in a 1,100-kilometre (700 mi) round trip to drop 50,000 propaganda leaflets on the Austro-Hungarian capital. By the end of the war MI7b had distributed almost 26 million leaflets. The British dropped packets of leaflets over Imperial German Army trenches containing postcards from prisoners of war detailing their humane conditions, surrender notices and general propaganda against Kaiser Wilhelm II and the German generals. First World War Īerial leaflets were first used on a large scale during World War I by all parties. Leaflet propaganda has been delivered by airplanes since the Italo-Turkish War of 1911–12. Only one war is just and holy that of independence. Foolish people, shall we always throttle one another for the pleasure and proudness of Kings? Glory and conquest are crimes defeat brings hate and desire for vengeance. One early example is from the Franco-Prussian War when, in October 1870 during the Siege of Paris, a French balloon coming from the city dropped government proclamations over North German Confederation troops that stated the following (in German): History Early use Īirborne leaflets have been used for military propaganda purposes at least since the 19th century. Facilitate communication Create a friendly atmosphere for the enemy by promoting the leaflets dropper's ideologies or to convince the enemy of "noble intentions" Provide humanitarian assistance Inform people where to find airdropped food, how to open and consume it, and when it comes. Advise radio listeners about frequencies/times of propaganda broadcasts and methods for circumventing radio jamming. Disseminate or counter disinformation Reduce enemy morale through propaganda. Offer rewards Rewards could be offered to encourage individuals to provide assistance, or to encourage defection. ![]() ![]() Prompt the enemy to surrender Explain to prospective deserters how to surrender. This has the dual purpose of reducing collateral damage and encouraging enemy combatants and non-combatants (who may be engaged in wartime production) to abandon their duties, reducing the target's military effectiveness. Threaten destruction Warn enemy combatants and non-combatants that their area will be targeted. There are six different functions of airborne leaflet propaganda that have been used over the past century: It promises a $100,000 reward to the first North Korean pilot to deliver a Soviet MiG-15 to UN forces. Korean War, 1953 Operation Moolah leaflet.
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