Broadly speaking, propaganda is information designed to support a particular cause or damage an opposing cause. It’s produced to persuade its audience to think or act in a certain way. Though the phenomenon was of course around for centuries beforehand, in the twentieth century it became increasingly sophisticated and embraced new media, especially in the hands of authoritarian regimes and movements. In this brief overview, Dr Stuart Mitchell introduces some of propaganda’s manifestations in Europe – particularly from far-left and far-right extremes – revealing its varying functions, symbols, and successes.

Dr Stuart Mitchell is an Open University tutor and lecturer, teaching on several undergraduate and postgraduate courses.

This is a special online history lecture to mark Freshers Fortnight run by LRAC, the Arts and Humanities Society and we welcome new, returning and former Open University students to join us.

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