The Revolution
after the termination of the war, the peaceful and democratic nations would receive the German people into the League of eternal world peace which was assured from the moment that “Prussian militarism” was destroyed.
To illustrate these claims, “letters from home” were frequently printed which appeared to confirm these statements.
At that time everybody just laughed at these attempts. The leaflets were read and then sent to the rear to the higher staffs, and mostly forgotten until the wind brought down another load into the trenches; for it was usually airplanes which served to bring over the leaflets.
There was one striking thing about this sort of propaganda, namely that in every sector where there were Bavarians an attack on Prussia was pushed with extraordinary persistency, asserting on the one hand that Prussia was solely guilty and responsible for the whole war, and on the other hand that there was not the slightest enmity for Bavaria in particular—though of course there was nothing to be done for Bavaria so long as it continued to serve under, and pull the chestnuts out of the fire for, Prussian militarism.
As a matter of fact this method of influence actually began to have a certain effect as early as 1915. Feeling against Prussia among the troops increased quite noticeably—without producing the slightest counter-measures from above. This was more than a mere sin of omission; sooner or later there were bound to be most grievous results, and not for the “Prussians” but for the German people, of which Bavaria is no inconsiderable part.
In this direction enemy propaganda began to have definite results by 1916.
The complaining letters from home had also long since begun to take effect. It was no longer necessary for the enemy to send them into our front by means of leaflets, etc. Here too, nothing was done in “governmental quarters” except for a few psychologically half-witted “admonitions.” The front was constantly flooded with this poison which empty-headed women cooked up at home, naturally not dreaming that this was the way to
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