Propaganda

In order to increase recruitment and maintain public support, the authorities made extensive use of posters, newspaper bulletins and other media. These efforts were often well organised campaigns that found a receptive audience in New Zealand at the beginning of the war. The call of duty to family, country and Empire was a frequent theme in attracting recruits to arms. On the home front there were exhortations to work, thrift, and the assurance that the men away overseas were fighting for a noble cause. The wartime publics' anxiety and insecurities were targeted at times by media campaigns. Imperial Germany, in particular was often portrayed as a merciless, cruel enemy, guilty of numerous atrocities.

Once New Zealand forces were committed to successive military campaigns, casualties increased dramatically. Government efforts at home increasingly focused on withstanding the sacrifice - ultimate victory was close at hand. As the war dragged on, with no end in sight, the impact of these propaganda measures on the New Zealand public declined significantly.