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| Dice against the Nazis | Dice against the Nazis |
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| Propaganda aimed to reduce fear By Clive Gilbert and Kevin Allen BBC News Magazine Nazi-era board games are being auctioned this week, including a game in which points were given for bombing UK cities. But what were British children playing during WWII? It wasn't all hopscotch and conkers, the Brits had their own propaganda games too. | Propaganda aimed to reduce fear By Clive Gilbert and Kevin Allen BBC News Magazine Nazi-era board games are being auctioned this week, including a game in which points were given for bombing UK cities. But what were British children playing during WWII? It wasn't all hopscotch and conkers, the Brits had their own propaganda games too. |
| Model Spitfires and Hurricanes were commonplace in the toy boxes of the 1940s. The war touched every aspect of life and had a profound effect on childhood. | Model Spitfires and Hurricanes were commonplace in the toy boxes of the 1940s. The war touched every aspect of life and had a profound effect on childhood. |
| Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded that all the country's energies were dedicated to the war effort. Board games, it seems, were no exception. | Prime Minister Winston Churchill demanded that all the country's energies were dedicated to the war effort. Board games, it seems, were no exception. |
| You can easily imagine people playing, sitting in the air raid shelter, while being bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Blitz Robert OpieHistorian | You can easily imagine people playing, sitting in the air raid shelter, while being bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Blitz Robert OpieHistorian |
| Take the early wartime game Battle of the River Plate, for example. Based on the first major confrontation between German and British naval forces, it is one of the earliest known games to reflect the international conflict. Players tried to score points by firing wooden sticks at the ship with a spring action. A direct hit caused the gun turrets on the ship to "explode". | Take the early wartime game Battle of the River Plate, for example. Based on the first major confrontation between German and British naval forces, it is one of the earliest known games to reflect the international conflict. Players tried to score points by firing wooden sticks at the ship with a spring action. A direct hit caused the gun turrets on the ship to "explode". |
| Another, Bomber Command, depicts bombing squadrons and invites players to bomb Berlin, at the centre of the playing board. Players take turns to throw dice to move toward the target. When materials were in short supply, the dice were replaced by a numbered spinning card. | Another, Bomber Command, depicts bombing squadrons and invites players to bomb Berlin, at the centre of the playing board. Players take turns to throw dice to move toward the target. When materials were in short supply, the dice were replaced by a numbered spinning card. |
| Historian and author, Robert Opie, says: "It was a game you can easily imagine people playing sitting in the air raid shelter while being bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Blitz." | Historian and author, Robert Opie, says: "It was a game you can easily imagine people playing sitting in the air raid shelter while being bombed by the Luftwaffe during the Blitz." |
| Battles re-enacted | Battles re-enacted |
| Opie, founder of the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising and an expert on nostalgia and culture, is keen to set the record straight. | Opie, founder of the Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising and an expert on nostalgia and culture, is keen to set the record straight. |
| Many games typically "re-enacted battles for children and adults", he says. "The Nazis weren't the only ones to produce war games with a propaganda feel. They were as much a part of life as the war itself." | Many games typically "re-enacted battles for children and adults", he says. "The Nazis weren't the only ones to produce war games with a propaganda feel. They were as much a part of life as the war itself." |
| Most of these British games were produced by unknown manufacturers. Board game manufacturing remained a cottage industry in Britain throughout the war, making them rare collectors' items nowadays. The invasion of Norway cut Britain off from supplies of playing card board, exacerbating the shortage of raw materials for making games. | Most of these British games were produced by unknown manufacturers. Board game manufacturing remained a cottage industry in Britain throughout the war, making them rare collectors' items nowadays. The invasion of Norway cut Britain off from supplies of playing card board, exacerbating the shortage of raw materials for making games. |
| BRITISH WAR GAMES Bomber CommandDecorate Goering - A Party GameThe Battle of the River Plate The Allies Dart Game Dash to BerlinARPNight RaidersHang your Washing on the Siegfried LineChase the Enemy In pictures: Board games BBC photos courtesy Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising | BRITISH WAR GAMES Bomber CommandDecorate Goering - A Party GameThe Battle of the River Plate The Allies Dart Game Dash to BerlinARPNight RaidersHang your Washing on the Siegfried LineChase the Enemy In pictures: Board games BBC photos courtesy Museum of Brands, Packaging and Advertising |
| Some games were more overtly political than others. Several dartboards used pictures of infamous political figures as targets. The Plonk dartboard depicted German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop with a snake's body and showed Goering brandishing a cave-man club. Not surprisingly, Hitler is the bullseye with a gaping black mouth which is marked for 100 points. | Some games were more overtly political than others. Several dartboards used pictures of infamous political figures as targets. The Plonk dartboard depicted German Foreign Minister Ribbentrop with a snake's body and showed Goering brandishing a cave-man club. Not surprisingly, Hitler is the bullseye with a gaping black mouth which is marked for 100 points. |
| Similarly, the Allies Dart Game was a large picture of Hitler's face and points were scored depending on where the dart landed. A direct hit on Hitler's moustache scored you 50 points. | Similarly, the Allies Dart Game was a large picture of Hitler's face and points were scored depending on where the dart landed. A direct hit on Hitler's moustache scored you 50 points. |
| Another, entitled "Decorate Goering - A Party Game", was based on the classic childrens' game "Pin the Tail On the Donkey". Like its more innocuous counterpart, players were blindfolded and had to pin medals on Goering's tunic. | Another, entitled "Decorate Goering - A Party Game", was based on the classic childrens' game "Pin the Tail On the Donkey". Like its more innocuous counterpart, players were blindfolded and had to pin medals on Goering's tunic. |
| Luke Honey of Bloomsbury Auctions says: "We weren't churning out propaganda games to the extent the Nazis were. I've never come across any board games like those at auction, so these games must be extremely rare." | Luke Honey of Bloomsbury Auctions says: "We weren't churning out propaganda games to the extent the Nazis were. I've never come across any board games like those at auction, so these games must be extremely rare." |
| The war also had a fascinating effect on the comic books that children read. When the United States entered the war on the Allies side, the American soldiers' care packages contained comic books which eventually found their way into British hands. | The war also had a fascinating effect on the comic books that children read. When the United States entered the war on the Allies side, the American soldiers' care packages contained comic books which eventually found their way into British hands. |
| Superman as role model, May 1942 (Picture: DC Comics) | Superman as role model, May 1942 (Picture: DC Comics) |
| Even before the US had entered the war, DC Comics were firmly opposed to Hitler's Nazi regime. Marvel Comics Captain America was also depicted to beat up Hitler and Superman was so anti-Nazi that German propaganda minister Goebbels felt moved to attack the "Man of Steel" as a Jew. | |
| The first issue of DC's "Comic Cavalcade" contains an instalment of a series called "Ghost Patrol" in which the heroines rescue journalists who had been caught behind enemy lines. The story is bluntly entitled "Hitler is a bum". | The first issue of DC's "Comic Cavalcade" contains an instalment of a series called "Ghost Patrol" in which the heroines rescue journalists who had been caught behind enemy lines. The story is bluntly entitled "Hitler is a bum". |
| In an issue of "Superman" released early in 1943, the superhero protects American navy ships from deep-sea creatures under the control of a Nazi agent. Superman manages to defeat the creatures and their master when the whistle used to control the monsters breaks and they turn on him. | In an issue of "Superman" released early in 1943, the superhero protects American navy ships from deep-sea creatures under the control of a Nazi agent. Superman manages to defeat the creatures and their master when the whistle used to control the monsters breaks and they turn on him. |
| British comics | British comics |
| British comics were also used as propaganda vehicles. In the hands of the artists, Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering became "Addy and Hermy - The Nasty Nazis" in the Dandy. They were usually embroiled in a scam that inevitably went wrong. | British comics were also used as propaganda vehicles. In the hands of the artists, Adolf Hitler and Hermann Goering became "Addy and Hermy - The Nasty Nazis" in the Dandy. They were usually embroiled in a scam that inevitably went wrong. |
| Addie and Hermy (Picture: DC Thomson & Co) | Addie and Hermy (Picture: DC Thomson & Co) |
| Desperate Dan is portrayed punching Hitler out of Britain. Linguistic stereotyping and overt racism also played a part with Mussolini portrayed as "Musso the Wop". | Desperate Dan is portrayed punching Hitler out of Britain. Linguistic stereotyping and overt racism also played a part with Mussolini portrayed as "Musso the Wop". |
| By ridiculing the enemy it was thought people learnt to fear them less. In this way board games and cartoons all played their part in the war effort. | By ridiculing the enemy it was thought people learnt to fear them less. In this way board games and cartoons all played their part in the war effort. |
| Send your comments using the form below. | Send your comments using the form below. |