Kultur in the Tropics:
German Propaganda Strategies in Brazil during the First World War, 1914-1918
Keywords:
First World War, Propaganda, Total War, Press, TransnationalityAbstract
This paper analyzes the nature of German propaganda disseminated in Brazil during the First World War as it relates to Germany’s political and economic initiatives in Brazil and recent historiographical debates regarding the totalization of the war. Drawing on theoretical frameworks provided by cultural studies of the Great War, this article contributes to filling a historiographical gap regarding the cultural dimensions of the conflict. The primary focus is the German state and private initiatives and their dissemination within Brazilian territory. This investigation is grounded in a comprehensive set of German propaganda materials, complemented by diplomatic records, reports, and consular correspondence from the National Archives in London. The article demonstrates that from the beginning of the conflict, Germany and other belligerent powers incorporated Brazil into their strategic efforts.
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