Burdick, Charles Burton, 1927-

American historian.

Between World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945), the U.S. government used propaganda through the mass production of war posters, pamphlets, billboards, advertisements, and film to foster broad-based support of the two wars. In World War I, the Committee on Public Information (CPI) was organized to shape public opinion in favor of U.S. war aims. During World War II, the War Advertising Council (WAC) produced a similar volume of war propaganda materials. The U.S. government used propaganda posters as a powerful mass communication tool to build support for the war effort. Throughout both wars, posters were created to boost morale, increase patriotic sentiment, promote the purchase of war bonds, offer guidelines for food rationing, and promote civilian and military war work, while demonizing countries such as Germany, Japan, Spain, and Italy.

Charles B. Burdick (1927-1998) grew up in San Jose, California where he attended Lincoln High School before enlisting in the United States Army during World War II. After serving in the Army, Burdick enrolled at San Jose State College in 1946. He graduated with a B.A. in History in 1949, and obtained his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1954. He joined SJSU's History Department in 1957, and became department chair in 1976. Throughout his teaching career, Professor Burdick worked diligently to create a program dedicated to military history. Burdick also taught for many years at the Sixth United Army Intelligence School located at the Presidio in Monterey, California. Over the course of his distinguished career, Burdick published dozens of articles and book chapters, and wrote and edited over twenty books. After an association with San Jose State University that spanned forty-five years, Professor Burdick retired in 1988. He died in 1998.

Biography

Charles B. Burdick (1927-1998) grew up in San José, California where he attended Lincoln High School before enlisting in the United States Army during World War II. After serving in the Army, Burdick enrolled at San José State College in 1946. He graduated with a B.A. in History in 1949, and obtained his Ph.D. from Stanford University in 1954. He joined SJSU's History Department in 1957, and became department chair in 1976. Throughout his teaching career, Professor Burdick worked diligently to create a program dedicated to military history. In addition, he donated several large private book collections on military history to the University Library, significantly adding to the monographic holdings in this area. Professor Burdick also taught for many years at the Sixth United Army Intelligence School located at the Presidio in Monterey, California. Over the course of his distinguished career, Burdick published dozens of articles and book chapters, and wrote and edited over twenty books. His research and writing on the history of the German High Command in World War II remains an important part of the historiography of World War II. After an association with San José State University that spanned forty-five years, Professor Burdick retired in 1988. He died in 1998.

Collection Description

Between World War I (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945), the U.S. government used propaganda through the mass production of war posters, pamphlets, billboards, advertisements, and film to foster broad-based support of the two wars. In World War I, the Committee on Public Information (CPI) was organized to shape public opinion in favor of U.S. war aims. Civilian chairman, journalist George Creel, enlisted the creative talent of over 150,000 people to produce over 100 million pieces of literature and visual materials in order to explain the meaning and cause of the war to the American public. During World II, the War Advertising Council (WAC) produced a similar volume of war propaganda materials.

The U.S. government used propaganda posters as a powerful mass communication tool to build support for the war effort. Throughout both wars, posters were created to boost morale, increase patriotic sentiment, promote the purchase of war bonds, offer guidelines for food rationing, and promote civilian and military war work, while demonizing countries such as Germany, Japan, Spain, and Italy. Various government agencies worked closely with private organizations such as the YWCA and the Red Cross to produce a variety of posters that supported the war, and specifically targeted women to conserve, to work in war industries, and to consider military service.

Included in this collection are posters that depict the aggression of the Germans against the vulnerability of neighboring countries, such as the experience of Belgium. One such example graphically projects the imagery of the Belgium people victimized by the Germans as invading Huns. In WWII, both the United States and England also utilized the "First to Fight" poster campaign to portray the Germans and the Japanese in an unfavorable light. Many of these posters used less offensive techniques to engender support from American women by targeting their responsibilities as patriots through military service as WAVES, WACS, and as Red Cross nurses, while the iconic image of "Rosie the Riveter" and slogans like "Yes We Can!" encouraged both married and single women to enter the workforce in unprecedented numbers.

Biographical/Historical Note

American historian.