With World War II now more than sixty years ago, it's easier to appreciate the propaganda posters of the era for their artistic merit. Allied posters of the age aimed to influence citizens to enlist in the military, buy war bonds, join the workforce, and sacrifice in ways that many people in the U.S., Australia, the United Kingdom, and elsewhere have a hard time imagining today. But the tactics employed in many of these posters and adverts were wildly successful in building national pride and support for the war effort, and today are cherished for their campy nostalgia and patriotic messages.
The posters below are the best of the best from the WWII era. Left out are many of the more offensive posters (of which there are plenty of examples). Looking through these can help give us a better understanding of what life during war-time was like a few generations ago.
Remember that propaganda posters were, in reality, sales tools. Their aim was to sell the citizenry as a whole on the war, and to get them to participate actively in the war effort in various ways. Study the motivational tools they use: pride, fear, patriotism, and a sense of duty.
Enlistment Posters
Enlistment posters aimed to entice young men to join the armed services. For the most part, they played on the desires of young men to be thought of as "men", and on feelings of national pride.
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