Propaganda Posters From Around The World

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Propaganda Posters From Around The World

• Martha Richardson and Zerrin Farbon

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Background

• The posters created during World War Two did not
  dramatically differ or evolve from the design and
  messages of the posters from the First World War.
  
• However, mass communication methods had changed
  and audiences were increasingly reached through
  cinema and radio. Nevertheless the volume of
  posters created was still enormous, for example
  on Americas entry to the war the public were
  bombarded with images on an unprecedented scale
• The Office Of War Information distributed its
  major posters in runs of 1.5 million
• 100,000 images were posted in subways, streets
  and buses every month

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Recuritment Posters

• .

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Race Within Recruitment Posters America

• Tensions were emerging between the idea of
  national unity and the reality of equality.
• This poster features heavyweight boxer and
  national hero Joe Louis
• His enrolment soon after Pearl Harbor and his
  highly public recruitment drives made him a key
  figure to ensure the black community was behind
  the war effort and young black men were
  enlisting.
• Many of the posters aimed at the black community
  were never effective, they just gave a vague call
  for racial unity in aid of the war, which angered
  the people, in both black and white communities,
  calling for increased equality in the highly
  segregated army
• Equally trouble was caused when recruitment
  posters emphasized inter-racial co-operation,
  this angered the pro segregation white army
  officers and politicians

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Race Within Recruitment Posters Europe

• Problems similar to Americas arose from European
  countries recruiting among their colonies.
• Countries such as France, Belgium, Germany and
  Britain have a long history of recruiting and
  conscripting people from Africa and Asia to
  military service. In effect an extension of
  forced labor, it is estimated that 300,000
  Africans were killed during the First World War.
• The Second World War weekend Europes colonial
  power, not only through increased strain on
  resources in the empires. But also through
  national propaganda, especially the posters
  (which in less technologically advanced countries
  reached more people than radio or the cinema ever
  could), that inadvertently increased the
  political awareness among colonized people and
  helped strengthen their demands for independence.
• Anti German and anti Japanese propaganda used by
  France and Britain in their colonies attacked
  their enemies expansionist ideas. This heightened
  the awareness of anti-raciest politics and
  planted the idea of apposing foreign occupation
  through armed conflict in the minds of many
  African and Asian colonized populations.

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Recruitment Of Woman

• The recruitment posters for woman to sign up to
  war work, conflicted with the ideal of woman
  portrayed in past propaganda, such as the First
  World War poster, featuring the slogan woman of
  Britain say- go!. It is this official image of
  woman- one of femininity and passiveness that so
  contradicted with woman's new role in war- one of
  active contribution.
• Many men were usurped by the new freedom woman
  possessed. Many of the woman who worked in
  factories and on farms, replacing the men who
  were at war, recall the hostile nature in which
  they were treated by male colleagues, who feared
  theyre roles would now be taken by women
  permanently, or wages would decrease to women's
  level.
• This problem was solved by highlighting the
  temporary nature of woman's war work, for the
  duration. This poster shows this by highlighting
  the distance between the woman and factory, and
  implies the womans femininity has not been
  diminished.

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Targeting The Enemy
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Stereotyping

• Posters were produced by all countries involved
  in the war. They confirmed the all ready
  ingrained xenophobia, depicting images of the
  loutish Tommy, cold German, brutish Russian.
• In this Italian poster the American armed forces
  are represented by a black solider. Its aim is to
  manipulate racial prejudice, and the exacerbate
  the view of the inferiority of American culture.
  In contrast with Italian classicism, shown by the
  Venus De Milo, American mass culture is shown as
  brutish and overbearing.
• It also shows the commonplace demonization of the
  enemy. In this poster the American solider is
  shown as a rapist. Rape not only in its literal
  sense, but rape as a metaphor for invasion of a
  country.

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Woman The Enemy From Within

• While woman were often depicted as the innocent
  victims of enemy aggression, as shown on the
  previous slide, they were also portrayed as the
  unwitting accomplice or willing traitor.
• In this British poster a blonde is surrounded by
  members of the armed forces. Her knowing look
  implies she might repeat pieces of military
  information.
• Although it doesnt confirm if she is a spy or
  simply a gossip, her silk dress and ostentatious
  jewelry imply loose morals in an era of wartime
  austerity.
• Governments of all countries ran campaigns
  against careless talk, all though it was
  necessary to control military information it
  created a culture of unnecessary secrecy and
  surveillance- especially against woman.