“The Army was literally drenched with enemy propaganda leaflets. Their great danger to us was clearly recognised… we could not prevent them from poisoning the hearts of our soldiers!” – German General Ludendorff, WWII

Campbell Stuart, a Canadian and previous lieutenant colonel, outlined what he determined were the key elements for successful propaganda:

1) That propaganda to be successful must be related to a defined policy [of war aims].

2) That propaganda must be rigorously truthful, and.

3) That propaganda must never be self-contradictory.

And although this propaganda was largely ineffective, the British RAF bombers succeeded in gaining experience in and reducing German moral as the promise of security from air attacks proved false as they distributed the pamphlets by plane.

Consequently the German press tried to imply that all British leaflets were disseminated by balloon rather than aircraft.