Propaganda

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"To dismiss propaganda as a lesser form of art is to deny a fundamental part of who we are."

―Janyor^[1]

ImperiusUnitadaoberTotallex — *Imperius Unitada ober Totallex* was a pro-Imperial propaganda poster.

Propaganda was the dissemination of information, especially of a biased nature, for the purpose of promoting or injuring apolitical institution, cause or point of view. Propaganda could take many forms, from adverts,paintings, and posters, to films and audio recordings.

Variousgalactic governments and organizations relied on propaganda to gain popular support both in times of peace and war. In theClone Wars, theCommission for the Protection of the Republic (COMPOR) produced artwork that favored the cause of theGalactic Republic over that of theConfederacy of Independent Systems, which in turn created anti-Republic propaganda. The successor of COMPOR, theCommission for the Preservation of the New Order (COMPNOR) used propaganda art to promote support for thereign of theGalactic Empire. However, propaganda also served as a tool for theAlliance to Restore the Republic, an organization that fought to restoredemocracy during theGalactic Civil War. In theNew Republic Era, theFirst Order utilized propaganda to promote its image as the legitimate successor to the Empire, and therefore, painted theNew Republic as an illegitimate government.

Description[]

"Your weapons in this war are ships, and blasters, and armor. My weapon in this war is words. And even more important than words areimages. Pictures depicting anartistic representation of reality. Facts are flexible, and these graphics point to the truth of which you speak even if they do notprecisely portray them."

―Ferric Obdur^[2]

Whos Pulling the Strings — The purpose of propaganda was to influence public perception and support an agenda.

Through several techniques, propaganda tended to imply connections between two separate things, whether they were true or not. Examples of such techniques were readily found in theOffice of Imperial Promotion, Galactic Truth, and Fact Correction, which sought to counter the influence of theNew Republic during the lastdays of theGalactic Empire.Who's Pulling the Strings?, an Imperialposter that depicted twoNew Republic soldiers in the foreground, with aHutt in the background, insinuated a connection between theNew Republic and organized crime syndicates such as theHutt Clan.^[1] Likewise, a poster of dirty, ill-kept New Republictroops withflamethrowers burning down anImperial Academy with screamingchildren in the windows, implied that the New Republic had no morality, and were no better than drunken thugs.^[2]

While propaganda could smear or base libel on a group, planet or species, it could also promote or improve the image of those that created it, or whom the creator sought to exemplify. For example, one poster during the Galactic Civil War depicted two stormtroopers handing out fruit to ahuman family in need, implying that the Empire was generous, merciful and well-behaved.^[2] Likewise, the propaganda posterNothingBeats an Academy Education depicted several members of the Imperial armed forces standing triumphantly in the foreground, with text written inHigh Galactic encouraging potential recruits to join the Empire, with the warmcolors, tone, and imagery suggesting that the Empire was strong, just, and brimming with opportunity.^[1]

The creation of national holidays, such asRepublic Day for theGalactic Republic, orEmpire Day for the Galactic Empire, further sought to meld the boundaries of citizenship and patriotism. Likewise, statues, memorials, and medals such as theDistinguished Medal of Imperial Honor,Nova Star, or battle medals earned in service of a particular organization such as theKalidor Crescent, further acted as propaganda to a particular state body or organization.^[3]^[2] National anthems, such as "Glory of the Empire," flags, banners, newsreels, and other methods also existed to act as propaganda. By reporting on pro-Imperial news and events, the Empire was able to maintain an illusion of stability and security.^[4]

Doll-CU — Toys for children were also utilized for propaganda.

There also existed more subtle and less noticeable forms of propaganda, such as the creation of stormtrooperdolls for young children,^[5] or a biased and distorted educational system, exemplified in the pro-Imperial classCurrent Events.^[6] The class, like many others throughout history, held the ulterior motive of strengthening the connection between the state and childhood to mold the minds of younger generations, with the end result of forming loyal adherents to the body politic.

TheRepublic roundel andImperial crest served as the symbols of the Galactic Republic and the Galactic Empire respectively. Likewise, thestarbird symbol of theAlliance to Restore the Republic served both as a symbol of the organization, but also held special symbolic—and propaganda—value. Based off the legendary starbird, the symbol implied that like the creature of myth, the Alliance could never die, and that each death was merely another rebirth.^[7]

However, propaganda was not guaranteed to succeed in its purpose just because it existed. Sincesentient beings had the ability to dissect information and form independent conclusions, along with drawing upon prior knowledge, just as propaganda was easily created, it was also easily vandalized, destroyed, or simply ignored. As such, numerous organizations existed to curb, redact, or remove libelous or vandalized propaganda throughout the galaxy and force compliance. The rebelSabine Wren was one such individual in the habit of vandalizing any Imperial propaganda posters she found by paintingrebellious graffiti over them.^[7]

History[]

Historical uses[]

"An artist need not be a soldier to be a warrior (although I've been both, I hesitate to say). In turbulent times, an artist uses expression and symbolism as weapons, transforming art into propaganda. There are scholars of art who reserve only the most scornful tones to utter that word. I am not one of them. Art is a reflection of civilization. So is war. Art in the service of war is doubly so."

―Janyor reflects on the nature of propaganda^[1]

For thousands of years, propaganda was created and destroyed to promote various interests and identities.^[1] ThePath of the Open Hand cult produced its own propaganda in the form ofpaper pamphlets, something very rare inthe galaxy, ahead of theBattle of Dalna^[8] in382 BBY.^[9] The leaflets spoke of imbalance inthe Force brought on by theJedi Order, who were not outright named but who were clearly referenced. The writing further demonized theJedi as an evil faction who needed to be fought in order to bring about what the leaflet promised to be freedom, justice, and purity. The Path attempted to pass their leaflets to the people ofFerdan on the world ofDalna, with the Path's writing calling upon their fellowDalnans to join them in battle.^[8]

EleciaZeveron-CharactersofTheHighRepublic — Elecia Zeveron (pictured) urged her followers to spread their word instead of trusting the HoloNet.

At that time, the once moderatePath Elder Dinube undertook a public speech in Ferdan, where he attempted to rally the people of Dalna to the Path's aid. At one point, he took to rebuking someone who instead passed on by him, claiming the individual was ignoring the imbalance in the Force. The cult's leader,Elecia Zeveron, also urged her followers to spread their word across Ferdan and beyond, alleging to them that the true pain being suffered by the galaxy was being covered up by theHoloNet at the direction of the Jedi. In reality, Zeveron had lied across her entire career as the cult's leader,^[8] and the cult's overall beliefs had no basis in the Force.^[10] During the battle, Zeveron plotted to wipe out her followers and the Jedi alike to make herself into a sorrowful survivor in order to continue her rise to power, only forPath Guide Marda Ro to put down her plans and eventually execute her.^[8]

The paintingLand & Sky security combating crime with diligence promoted the view that theLand & Sky Corporation'sSecurity Bureau protected law and order in theAakaash system, despite the reality being that many members of the security force dealt withpirates such as theBlue Dragon and took pleasure in handlingslaves, which was illegal in both Galactic Republic and local laws. Occasionally, slaves were even killed for sport.^[11]Eleven Star Marketing created the posterSettle the Outer Rim launched on the behalf of theRepublic Ministry of Economic Development to spur interest in theOuter Rim Territories by appealing to the viewer's sense of adventurism and mystery.^[1]

Clone Wars[]

"The HoloNet is nothing but propaganda for politicians."

―Jedi General Obi-Wan Kenobi^[12]

During theClone Wars, both the Galactic Republic andConfederacy of Independent Systems embarked on large propaganda campaigns to rally support for the war. Early adverts for Count Dooku'sIndependent Movement for Self-Determination during theSeparatist Crisis featured pamphlets drawn byReena University'sAnsibella Dellu entitledCount Dooku: Words of Truth. Later posters, such as2,000 Senators sought to convince the public that theGalactic Senate was distant, dispassionate, and unworthy of their attention.^[1] Likewise, the Separatistshadowfeed operation hijacked the Republic HoloNet to spread disinformation on Republic defeats and Separatists triumphs. As a result, theCommission for the Protection of the Republic (COMPOR) would be formed to counteract such efforts.^[13] The Republic, meanwhile, made use of the HoloNet proper to spread propaganda.^[12]

Hasbro-ClonevB1 — The clone trooper (left) and battle droid (right), symbols of the Galactic Republic and Confederacy of Independent Systems, respectively.

Abandoning its initial interest in featuring theJedi Order in its work, which could be seen in the work "Jedi Unite for Peace," COMPOR depicted theclone troopers as the Republic's primary defenders, ultimately turning theGrand Army of the Republic into an icon of Republic propaganda. One such example was the poster "Unite."^[1] To the Confederacy, meanwhile, the clone troopers were seen as a slave army, with Dooku once proclaiming the Grand Army as proof of Jedi and Republic hypocrisy.^[14] Beyond heralding itsSeparatist Droid Army as a force that would bring forth Separatist freedom,^[1] the Confederacy regarded its use of battle droids as a more humane option for war:^[14] in Separatist propaganda, droids were effectively a disposable, soulless force whose sacrifice was acceptable, especially in the name of avoiding organic deaths. The Republic, meanwhile, pushed propaganda that depicted Separatist droids as an existential threat to life itself. Overall, no matter whether the droid was seen as a lifeless defender of freedom or great threat to existence, droids themselves were never consulted. COMPOR's campaign featuredSupreme Chancellor Sheev Palpatine as well, encouraging both the Senate and citizenry to rally around their leader in a time of war.^[1]

Days of fascism[]

Join the SAGroup-poster — Imperial propaganda focused heavily on the military might of the Galactic Empire.

As the Empire rose, COMPOR was reorganized into theCommission for the Preservation of the New Order (COMPNOR), which took note when artistic media underminedEmperor Palpatine's government, and issued propaganda posters.^[15] During theGalactic Civil War, the Galactic Empire made frequent use of propaganda to recruit new soldiers and snuff out any rebellious activities.^[15] One such poster entitledStrength & Obedience sought to portray the Empire as a force for social order and stability. TheMinistry of Information, headed byPollux Hax, was tasked with muzzling thepress.^[16] Imperial propaganda also worked to paint the regime's citizens as more economically successful than most people actually were. In one speech, SenatorDaho Sejan heralded the Empire as a government built upon prosperity and security, alleging that insurgents hidden among the population were to blame for ongoing woes.^[17]

DuringEmpire Day, as part of propaganda purposes for the Emperor and the state-run media of the Galactic Empire, Palpatine was altered to look as he did during the Clone Wars in a holo file depicting the Emperor's inauguration speech.^[18]^[19]Leadership, Order, Power was a propaganda poster featured heavily onVardos andNaboo, depicting Palpatine from prior to the Clone Wars.^[20] Meanwhile, the Rebel Alliance, in its efforts against the Empire, issued propaganda showing Imperial stormtroopers to be poor shots.^[21]Rebel pilots made use of colorfulflight suits and symbols that would become synonymous with the idea of freedom.^[22]

New Republic and beyond[]

The New Republic crafted messages of hope, self-determination and inspiration following theirvictory atEndor, along with the distribution of holo-recordings that featured the destruction of theDS-2 Death Star II Mobile Battle Station, coupled with pre-recorded messages of hope delivered by none other thanLeia Organa—survivor ofthe Disaster—to rally hearts and minds around the Republic.^[3]

Legitimate Power — The First Order promoted itself as the Empire's successor.

TheFirst Order trained itsstormtroopers by, among other things, teaching them propaganda that resulted in a skewed, pro-Imperial view of history.FN-2187 was one stormtrooper who doubted such claims, and while lacking knowledge ofgalactic politics, his tendency to value friendship led him to help those in theResistance above the hatred of the past.^[23]

In addition to the behavioral conditioning of its soldiers, the First Order used propaganda to promote the idea of its legitimacy^[1] as the successor of the Galactic Empire.^[20] Like its predecessor, theFirst Order military was featured heavily in state propaganda. Additionally, the emphasis on the First Order's Imperial heritage was used to portray the New Republic as an illegitimate government. During theCold War, theResistance produced its own forms of propaganda to counter that of the First Order.^[1] By taking on the old rebel pilot uniform and its symbols for itsResistance pilots, for example, the Resistance knowingly called upon that outfit's natural association with freedom and put it to use in its own struggle against the First Order.^[22]