Main Page | See live article | Alphabetical index Black propaganda is propaganda that purports to be from a source on one side of some conflict, but is actually from the opposing side. It contrasts with White propaganda and Grey propaganda. The term is also sometimes used as a synonym for particularly malicious wartime propaganda. Black propaganda may be generated by altering genuine enemy propaganda in such a way as to distort its message. This is a particularly powerful tool if the target audience has a poor understanding of the language of the enemy. Anti-Semitic black propaganda A classic example of black propaganda is the Protocols of the Elders of Zion, which poses as a document written by Jewish elders, but is actually a forgery written by an opponent of the Jews. World War II black propaganda British black propaganda Gustav Siegfried Eins was the first British black propaganda radio station - purporting to be a clandestine German station. The speaker, 'Der Chef' purported to be a Nazi extremist, accusing Hitler and his henchmen of going soft. The station focused on alleged corruption sexual improprieties of Nazi Party members. Another example was the British radio station Soldatensender Calais, which purported to be a radio station for the German military. Under the direction of Sefton Delmer, a British journalist who spoke perfect Berliner German, Soldatensender Calais and its associated shortwave station, Kurzwellesender Atlantik, broadcast music, up-to-date sports scores, speeches of Adolf Hitler for "cover", and subtle propaganda. David Hare's play Licking Hitler provides a fictionalised account based on the British black propaganda efforts in World War II. German black propaganda German black propaganda usually took advantage of European racism and anti-Communism. For example, on the night of April 27, 1944 German aircraft under cover of darkness (and possibly carrying fake Royal Air Force markings) dropped propaganda leaflets on occupied Denmark. These leaflets used the title of Frihedsposten, a genuine Danish underground newspaper, and claimed that the "hour of liberation" was approaching. They instructed Danes to accept "occupation by Russian or specially trained American Negro soldiers" until the first disorders resulting from military operations is over. Japanese black propaganda The following message was distributed in black propaganda leaflets dropped by the Japanese over the Philippines in World War II. It was designed to turn Filipinos against the United States: Guard Against Venereal Diseases Lately there has been a great increase in the number of venereal diseases among our officers and men owing to prolific contacts with Filipino women of dubious character. ''Due to hard times and stricken conditions brought about by the Japanese occupation of the islands, Filipino women are willing to offer themselves for a small amount of foodstuffs. It is advisable in such cases to take full protective measures by use of condoms, protective medicines, etc.; better still to hold intercourse only with wives, virgins, or women of respective character. Furthermore, in view of the increase in pro-American leanings, many Filipino women are more than willing to offer themselves to American soldiers, and due to the fact that Filipinos have no knowledge of hygiene, disease carriers are rampant and due care must be taken. US Army The Zinoviev letter The Zinoviev letter was a fake letter published in the right-wing British newspaper The Daily Mail. It claimed to be a letter from the Comintern president Grigori Zinoviev to the British Communist party. It called on Communists to mobilise "sympathetic forces" in the Labour Party and talked of creating dissent in the armed forces. The Zinoviev letter was instrumental in the Conservative victory in the 1924 UK general election. See also Propaganda This article is from Wikipedia. All text is available under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.