WWI Through Posters

All nations involved in WWI used propaganda posters for several reasons:To justify their involvement to their citizensTo encourage young men to enlist (often by

guilt or fear)To appeal to the emotions of their citizens to

save food, money, resources for the war effortsPosters from the war show us the link

between the war and their impact on national economies

Propaganda

Poster Analysis #1Who produced this poster?* Artist Saville Lumley for the Britishgovernment

What is the purpose of this poster?* Recruit for the British Army

What emotions does this poster elicit?* Fear, guilt, curiosity

What emotions does this 1917 U.S. government poster use to encourage men to enlist in the military?

The image of the woman bent over, the fallen flags and the ominous background suggest fear. The image of Uncle Sam pointing his finger, with a set jaw, suggests anger.

Poster Analysis #2

What messages does this 1918 Australian poster give about Germans?They are evil and will leave

Europe in blood. The German, indicated by his helmet, is portrayed as a beast, with its bloody arms dripping onto a map of Europe.

Why would the Australian government represent Germans this way?To support the war effort

against Germany—Australia was a member of the British Empire and felt loyal

Poster Analysis #3

War is expensive—food, clothing, soldier pay, weapons, transportation of troops and supplies

Rather than raise taxes on civilians, governments asked people to raise their own money for the war effort.

Raising Funds for War

Lend Your Shillings1915, Great BritainD.D. Fry

According to The Official Record of the UnitedStates’ Part in the Great War, Great Britain andits colonies spent 38 billion dollars waging warin WWI

Buy Liberty Bonds1918, U.S.A.Joseph Pennell

The imaginary attack on New York City wouldhave been highly unlikely with the enemyacross an ocean that had yet to be crossed in anairplane. Nevertheless two million copies ofthis popular poster were printed, demonstratingthat terror can be guaranteed to sell war (Paret75).

Save Your Quarters1917, U.S.A.James M. Flagg

Buy War Loan Bonds1918, IndiaT. Martin Jones

800,000 Indian men fought in WWI, suffering morethan 100,000 casualties and nearly bankrupting theIndian economy. The Times of London editorialized:“The Indian empire has over-whelmed the Britishnation by the completeness and unanimity of itsenthusiastic aid.”

Subscribe to the WarLoan1918, Austria-HungaryBela Moldovan

Industry was needed to produce all the weapons and supplies for the war

Marxist ideas had been spreading, causing worker unrest—lots of strikes and anger in the working class. Governments saw this as a direct threat to the war effort and needed to convince people to work hard for their country’s sake.

Labor and Industry

Rivets are Bayonets1916, U.S.AJohn E. Sheridan

Workers are like soldiers, working to winthe war for their country.

According to The Official Record of the United States’ Part in theGreat War, “to build factories and storage warehouses forsupplies, as well as housing for troops, 200,000 workmen in theUnited States were kept continuously occupied for the period ofthe war.

The title and the image suggest thatbuilding ships is linked to winning thewar. The sponsor organization is theU.S. Shipping Board.

It is unpatriotic and even treasonous for workers to strike during wartime.The wounded soldier is telling the sheepish worker that striking is the same as refusing to fight.

Soldiers All1915, Great BritainBernard Partridge

Once a German—Always a German1918, Great BritainDavid Wilson

Another version of this poster included this text:“This man, who has shelled churches, hospitals, and open boats at sea; this robber, ravisher, and murderer, AND this man, who after the war, will want to sell you his German goods, ARE ONE AND THE SAME PERSON!”

Through Work toVictory! ThroughVictory to Peace!1917, GermanyAlexander Cay

A Marxist Revolution had just placed a communist government in power in neighboring Russia in 1917. Many powerful and wealthy Germans feared a Communist revolution in Germany might emerge from labor strikes. This poster stresses cooperation between labor and the military to win the war but also to secure peace.

In order for industry to do its job to supply the war effort, energy was needed to run the factories.

Steel and copper were needed to manufacture weapons.

Resources and Energy for the War

Mine More Coal1918, U.S.A.Walter Whitehead

As a fuel that could propel ships and warm homescoal was an essential fuel in WWI. The FuelAdministration produced many posters focused oncoal mining and use including posting instructions on how to fire coal successfully.

Light Consumes Coal1918, U.S.A.Coles Phillips

Conserving energy was a means to reducethe depletion of a limited resource.Successful domestic conservation effortsmeant that more coal could be used in thewar effort.