History glossary
Propaganda
messages designed to shape what people believe about power, enemies, rulers, or events.
- Category
- Communication and power
What it means
Propaganda uses images, speeches, inscriptions, stories, or ceremonies to persuade people. Ancient rulers used it to show themselves as victorious, divinely chosen, generous, terrifying, or legitimate.
Related terms
Stories using this term
Imperial Japan
From Meiji modernisation to colonial rule, militarism, mobilisation and defeat, Imperial Japan rose as a modern empire before collapsing in 1945.
The Hundred Years War
From Edward III's claim to Joan of Arc, Agincourt and Castillon, the Hundred Years War reshaped England, France and medieval warfare.
The Holocaust
From legal discrimination to genocide, the Holocaust traces twelve years of escalating persecution that killed six million Jews and millions of others across Nazi-occupied Europe.
Nazi Germany
From Weimar collapse to WWII, Nazi Germany imposed totalitarian rule, expansion, and genocide.
The Cold War
Rivalry between East and West shapes global politics - through proxy wars, propaganda, and nuclear tension.
The Elizabethan Age
Elizabeth I’s reign brought stability, cultural flourishing, exploration, and victory over the Spanish Armada.
The Kim Dynasty
North Korea’s Kim dynasty built a nuclear-armed regime, maintaining power through crises and control.
The Korean War
A Cold War conflict that divided Korea, ending in stalemate and a lasting unresolved border.
