What is censorship?
Censorship is a written piece which is checked by another person. The censor removes any sensitive or secret parts from the text. For example newspaper, websites, letters, music.
Censorship in WWI
Censorship in world war one allowed governments to protect their secret plans e.g. battle plans, cover up mistakes, prevent opposition or control people’s opinions. Throughout the course of WWI censorship was very important as governments did not approve of to talk about or support ideas that could undermine the war effort or give information to spies.
Why were letters censored?
Censorship was important during the war to stop any enemies from discovering any secrets information or plans if they got hold of an enemies letter.
All letters had to be censored, even the ones written for soldiers families, so they wouldn’t know the reality of war as countries needed men to join without them knowing how bad it really was. Officers censored letters use black markers, black pens or scissors. Blacking out anything they thought that would potentially help the enemy.
What was censored?
- Anything that criticised the army and any unauthorised information about the military operations
- The number of horrific casualties
- Any unauthorised letters of soldiers
- Anything about espionage and counter-espionage
- Pacifist publications and activities
Britian
Censorship was first authorised in Britain by the Defence of the Realm Act (DORA). With the beginning of the first world war, there was many restrictions put on type media about the reality of the war. All information related to the world war was modified to not reveal the brutal details of the war (casualties or condition). The Official Press Bureau issued notices with letters prefixed according to their importance. Even though they had no binding force, offenders could have prosecuted under various DORA regulations. Any offenders had the piece seized and court hearings began against the author and the printer.
Censorship/Propaganda
This British posters recognises the secrecy of the plans the British had during the war. Showing the perspective of paranoid member of the arm at the Ministry of Information, who didn't want to leak any important information of their potential actions to their enemies. https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk |
Germany
Before 1914 the German government had great control over the media. Not allowing any forms of media to openly discuss anything that could undermine Germany.
When World War I began, the military took over the censorship office with the aim of mobilising German support for the war. A police official was instituted in every city for this purpose. Restrictions on materials became much harsher. Materials could be banned because of association with a particular person or country, or simply because the censor felt that the piece revealed too much about the reality of the war.
The German censorship offices used stamps on letters that had been examined through a censorship office. The censorship in Germany throughout WW1 consisted of the government trying to stop any opposition giving their personal outlook or “unnecessarily irritating the national temper”. The aim of censorship was to keep the German citizens and soldiers united, keeping them positive of the efforts at war.
When World War I began, the military took over the censorship office with the aim of mobilising German support for the war. A police official was instituted in every city for this purpose. Restrictions on materials became much harsher. Materials could be banned because of association with a particular person or country, or simply because the censor felt that the piece revealed too much about the reality of the war.
The German censorship offices used stamps on letters that had been examined through a censorship office. The censorship in Germany throughout WW1 consisted of the government trying to stop any opposition giving their personal outlook or “unnecessarily irritating the national temper”. The aim of censorship was to keep the German citizens and soldiers united, keeping them positive of the efforts at war.
“Although the German General Staff had intensified its intelligence activities prior to 1914, its preparations for war proved to be insufficient after the beginning of the war. Before the war, Department IIIb of the General Staff had almost exclusively dealt with espionage and counter-espionage. By the armistice its tasks by far exceeded this: in addition to being an espionage and counter-espionage political police, a censorship and propaganda authority, [and] it issued identity cards and organised postal censorship." - Extract from "Total War - Total Control?" |
This extract by Altenhömer, describes German censorship throughout the war. Explaining the reasons behind restrictions. |
http://intellit.muskingum.edu/germany_folder/germanywwia-e.html