During the Anti-Japanese War(1931-1945), both China and Japan strategically deployed propaganda campaigns to advance political and military objectives, seeking to legitimize their respective causes, condemn adversaries, and galvanize public morale. This study examines two pivotal events—the 1933 Great Wall Resistance and the 1938 Huayuankou Dyke Breach—within the context of state-directed wartime propaganda. In the former, official narratives blended factual combat reports with deliberate exaggerations; in the latter, authorities employed attribution shifting, falsely blaming Japan for the dyke’s destruction to incite public outrage. These propaganda techniques collectively aimed to construct an image of China’s indomitable resistance, foster belief in eventual victory, intensify popular resentment against Japanese aggression, and fortify national unity for prolonged warfare. Such military propaganda proved highly effective in mobilizing civilian support, underscoring the instrumentality of wartime messaging, and revealing the complex operational dynamics of total war. Critically, assessing historical propaganda necessitates contextual understanding rather than simplistic binary judgments of truth or falsehood.