Show the War. Illustrated Press – between propaganda and a photo report

Abstract

World War I (WWI) is considered as the first modern war because of the use of new weapons and massive violence. Illustrated press, especially L’Illustration and Le Miroir, which applied “brainwashing” tactics during the first months of WWI in order to present the enemies as devils, offered realistic documentation, even if sometimes it served some prearranged purposes. Illustrated press published official military photographs and amateur photographs in order to show war conditions to the readers.