Propaganda for an Ally: How the Anglo-Japanese Alliance Shaped British Propaganda in the First World War

Abstract

This paper analyses British propaganda in First World War Japan by comparing two contrasting periodicals. It contrasts the failed, autonomously-managed bilingual magazine. The New East with the successful, state-controlled Senji Jihō, which utilised a Japanese editor. This shift from a laissez-faire to a controlled model reveals a crucial learning curve in British strategy. The paper argues that this evolution was shaped by the unique, high-stakes nature of the Anglo-Japanese Alliance. It concludes that successful propaganda depended less on the message itself and more on the strategic decision of who should deliver it.