Figure 1.--British children were evacuated to the countryside in early September 1939. After the fall of France, overseas evacuatons were organized. And Goebbels propaganda machine picked up on this. This photograph appeared in German newspapers as well in the newspapers of occupied countries. The press caption read, " Ein Spezialbüro für Kinderverschickung sitzt in einem Londoner Hotel. Nur für Kinder der britischen Plutokraten ist Schiffsraum zur Verfügung." A special office for child evacustion-sending is located in a London hotel. Only for children of the British plutocrats is ship space available."

The Germans fllowed developments in Britain as much as possible thriugh radio broadcasts and foreign press reports. The German Embassy in Ireland was an important soiyrce of infoirmation. Thus thry were well aware of the evacuation of children from the cities. I am not sure to what extent Goebbels used that in his propaganda, in part because it would elicit sympathy for the British. The overseas evcuation program was different. It suggested that the British were dispairing of a German invasion and victory in the War. Thus reports of the overseas evcuation appeared in the German press and in occupied countries like France.. Not only did it suggest the British were caving in, but the reports chsrged that the children being sent overseas were the children of the wealthy. Often not wudely reported was that in line with the socialist orientation of the NAZI Party, that much NAZI propaganda sounded lkuke Soviet propaganda. Churchill and Roosevelt were depicted as plutocrats, wealthy individuals leading capitalist countries exploiting working people.

Created: 2:34 AM 11/23/2006
Last updated: 5:26 AM 6/11/2013