The systematic use of propaganda is very much a phenomenon of the 20th century. Through the years, kings, political leaders, and statesmen have often made use of what might now be called "propaganda techยญ niques" but it is only within the present century that the use of proยญ paganda has been developed as a systematic instrument of national and foreign policy. Nonetheless, since World War II propaganda has become a regular peacetime instrument of foreign policy for most states, be they large or small. While some considerable attention has been given to the propaganda organisations and activities of the United States and certain Comยญ munist nations, especially the U.S.S.R., relatively little has been done on the British approach to propaganda. The present study attempts to at least partially fill that vacuum. A history of the overseas Informaยญ tion Services is not undertaken and I will leave that important task to future scholars. Instead I have examined the British approach to the organisation of propaganda and the mechanics they have developed to utilize this instrument of foreign policy
CONTENT
I. The Roots of Peacetime Propaganda -- II. The Official Information Services -- III. The Central office of Information -- IV. The British Council -- V. The BBC External Services -- VI. Supervision of British Propaganda Programmes -- VII. Comparing Approaches: the United Kingdom and the United States -- Appendix. Estimated Cost of Overseas Information Services 1973-74 -- selected Bibliography
