MAĞDUR VE SEMBOL: I. DÜNYA SAVAŞI YILLARINDA OSMANLI DEVLETİ'NDE KADINA YÖNELİK PROPAGANDA.

This study examined the propaganda made towards women in the Ottoman State during the years of The First World War. Besides being the victims in those years, women also had increasing responsibilities and duties. Hence, they had to take the responsibilities of men in several areas since most of them were enrolled in military services during the war. Furthermore, they had to perform all other duties which were brought by the state of emergency. This need of women during the war made them one of the most important targets of the propaganda activities. Propaganda activities towards women in the Ottoman State during The First World War years were shaped on certain themes. In fact, the main reason why men went to war was to defend the honourable life of their mothers, wives and children. For this reason, the possibility of women's and children's being under pressure was one of the most important themes of voluntary military service. In this sense, what women were asked to do for the propaganda activities was to support men who would join the army. Another propaganda element towards women was to remind their duties for the state of emergency. In other words, they also had to work for the war. As a matter of fact, health services for injured soldiers or providing clothing and financial support for them were only possible through the assistance of women. For this reason, some women unions and the women office of The Ottoman Red Crescent Society encouraged women with their propaganda. Another propaganda element towards women in the Ottoman society was their motherhood. It was regarded in those years that the most important duty of a woman was to grow a patriotic generation based on the necessities of war because mobilization of a generation around national and moral values was only possible with the support of women. That would make it possible to have young and voluntary soldiers who would join the army when needed. When all these situations are taken into consideration, the importance of propaganda towards women during the years of war becomes clearer. This study was prepared based on the Ottoman Archive of the Prime Ministry, Archive of The Turkish Red Crescent, and periodicals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]