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A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS A Quick Guide World War One Propaganda Posters Basil Carryer TIRINE 1 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Copyright Published by Tirine Publishing P.O. Box 35034, Browns’s Bay Auckland, 0753, New Zealand Web: www.tirine.com Text copyright © Basil Carryer 2014 Image source: United States Library of Congress, World War One Poster Collection ISBN 978-0-9582574-0-4 Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/3.0/nz/ Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives CC BY-NC-ND Basil Carryer lectures at the University of Waikato and has an interest in Social Studies and History Education. Acknowledgement The author and publisher would like to thank the United States Library of Congress for the use of the images of World War One posters which have been used to illustrate this publication. 2 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Contents Introduction 4 Parliamentary Recruitment Committee 7 Committee on Public Information 10 Common Propaganda Strategies 13 Other Wartime Poster Themes 35 Portrayal of Women 43 Analysing a Poster 52 Model Poster Worksheet 54 References 55 Cover image: Title: Are You in This? Artist: Kemp-Welch, Edith. 3 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS A Note About World War One Posters Time has taken its toll on many of the posters dating back to World War One. While some posters used in this publication are in remarkably good condition, others are torn, creased or have been affected by the browning of the paper on which they were printed. The author has attempted to restore these posters to their original condition. Most commonly, this has included touching up tears and creases. In some cases missing sections have been replaced. Colours have also been adjusted in some cases to better represent the posters as they would have appeared when first printed. Shown below is an example of how a poster has been restored. Before After 4 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Introduction The study of propaganda posters from World War One provides a valuable learning experience. Many of the approaches used to persuade the sometimes reluctant masses to support the war effort are still evident in advertising today. Why focus on World War One? Wartime posters published in Britain and the United States between 1914 and 1918 provide a fascinating insight into how governments attempted to convince their citizens that participation in the war was both essential and a duty. Acceptance was vital for the British government because of its reluctance to introduce conscription. At the outbreak of war, Britain could only mobilise a relatively small professional army. There was an urgent need to swell the ranks with volunteers. While thousands of young men did volunteer for military service during the first few weeks of the war, this initial enthusiasm waned quickly. Recruitment campaigns in Britain from 1915 became more reliant on posters rather than patriotic fervour to attract the number of volunteers needed to support the British war effort. War propaganda emerged from commercial advertising. Both were based on similar principles. As with commercial advertising, propaganda posters were designed to catch the eye and get an instant response from the viewer. 5 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Size Wartime posters needed to be large so that they caught the eye of people walking past and stood out from the other advertising posted about the streets. Posters averaged in size from 75 x 50 cms to 105 x 76 cms. Colour Posters used forceful colours such as red, orange and blue to help attract the eye of viewers. Text was often white so that it stood out against the darker background. Some text-only posters relied on the patriotic colours of red and blue to reinforce their message. Images and Message Images were important as they had to convey their message to both literate and illiterate viewers. To achieve this goal they had to be simple, easily recognisable by the viewer and illustrate or repeat the point being made by the text. In some posters, the images presented imaginary renditions of events designed to gain an emotional response such as the sinking of the Lusitania. The message accompanying the image also had to be simple and short. Many posters used five words or less. Often, the word ‘Enlist’ was sufficient to communicate the intended message and in rare cases, like the example shown on the next page, no words were used at all. 6 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS A soldier beckoning is the sole image used in this recruitment poster published by the Parliamentary Recruitment Committee. (Number 129) US Library of Congress 7 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Parliamentary Recruitment Committee Britain was not prepared for war in August 1914. It could only mobilise just over 733,000 men. The Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith with the support of his cabinet decided not to introduce conscription. He believed the war would be over before it became necessary.1 He also felt that it went against Britain’s Liberal tradition. Conscription was to be a test of Asquith’s wartime leadership. The recruitment of able volunteers to swell the ranks of the army therefore was his, and the government’s priority. British PM, Herbert Asquith US Library of Congress The Parliamentary Recruiting Committee or PRC was formed on 31 August 1914, almost one month after war was declared. This cross-party organisation was chaired by Asquith. The 32 member PRC was given the task of overseeing and coordinating all recruitment activities. In the years leading up to the outbreak of war, annual recruitment numbers had fallen well below what was required by the British Army. The declaration of war on 4 August 1914 created a wave of patriotism that swept the country. Within four days of war being declared, over 8,000 volunteers had signed up for service. Between the 9 and 15 August, 43,000 enlisted.2 8 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS The PRC poster campaign The Publicity and Publications branch of the PRC produced over 164 recruitment poster designs between September 1914 and the introduction of conscription in January, 1916. The success of these posters is open to debate. There was an initial rush of volunteers in the first two months of the war driven by a patriotic wave of enthusiasm which swept the country. Many of these new recruits signed up for military service before the PRC even came into existence. After October, 1914 recruitment numbers went into a steady decline. Military historian, Peter Simkins argues that external factors like the Battle of Ypres and even the One of the first PRC posters. bombardment of Scarborough had a greater (Poster Number 6) US Library of Congress impact on recruitment numbers than the PRC propaganda posters.3 By late 1915, it was obvious that the reliance on volunteers to fill the ranks of the army was unrealistic. The massive casualties suffered by the British coupled with the need to enlist millions to fight meant that conscription could not be avoided. The PRC, was reformed as the Parliamentary War Savings Committee. Their focus switched to encouraging Britons to invest in war savings as it became obvious that the financial cost of fighting the war over a period of years was going to place significant demands on the country’s resources. 9 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS The Kitchener poster An often repeated ‘fact’ is that the poster of Lord Kitchener, Secretary of State for War was the first published by the PRC. This belief is wrong according to historian, James Taylor. The image of Kitchener by Alfred Leete first appeared on the cover of the London Opinion magazine on the 5 September, 1914 a month after war was declared. The poster was adapted from that cover and was printed privately with a limited print run. It used the caption, “BRITONS (Lord Kitchener) Wants YOU - Join Your Country’s Army!” followed by “God Save the King”. The words “God Save the King” were added at Kitchener’s request as he was uncomfortable with the focus being on him.4 Few copies of this poster are known to exist today. The 1914 London Opinion cover featuring a pointing Lord Kitchener. US Library of Congress 10 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Committee on Public Information The decision by the United States to declare war on Germany presented President Wilson with a problem: how to gain public support after years of promoting the advantages of neutrality. His first thought was to introduce a Bill that would “oversee and restrict public speech”.5 He believed that public opinion and the economy were the key to successful mobilisation. The Committee on Public Information (CPI) was created on the 6 April 1917, the same day that America declared war on Germany. Head of the Committee was George Creel, a journalist and friend of Wilson. George Creel, the head of the CPI. US Library of Congress Creel convinced Wilson not to introduce censorship. His solution instead was “expression, not suppression” of information.6 Under Creel, the CPI took on the challenging role of mobilising and sustaining public support for the war using propaganda. During the relatively short time between America’s entry into the war in April 1917 and the end of hostilities in November, 1918 the Division of Pictorial Publicity, a branch of the CPI produced over 2,500 poster designs and printed an estimated 20 million posters. 11 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Division of Pictorial Publicity The CPI recruited some of America’s leading advertising illustrators and cartoonists to produce war posters. Charles Gibson, a nationally known commercial illustrator was appointed head of the Division of Pictorial Publicity. He led a team of over 300 noted illustrators including Joseph Pennell, James Montgom- ery Flagg and Howard Chandler Christy. A group of these illustrators became known as the ‘Vigilantes’ as all were zealous supporters of America’s war effort.7 Christy, the most widely known of the Vigilantes was a seasoned frontline war artist. He was noted for having done illustrations of the Spanish-American War for several magazines.8 His ‘Christy Girl’, already a well-known image in American popular culture since its introduction in 1895 featured on a number of wartime posters. Howard Chandler Christy’s famous ‘Christy Girl’. US Library of Congress 12 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS The Uncle Sam poster The iconic poster of Uncle Sam was the work of artist James Montgomery Flagg. The image of Uncle Sam first appeared on a magazine cover in 1916. According to Flagg, he used himself as a model.9 Flagg based his poster on the Kitchener poster and asked the question, “What are YOU doing for preparedness?”. Flagg’s Uncle Sam was authoritarian, unlike previous versions which had usually presented him as an elderly, gentle figure. The army used Flagg’s magazine image for a recruiting poster, adding the words “I want you for the U.S. Army”. It printed four million copies. Montgomery Flagg. US Library of Congress/Bain Collection Flagg’s Uncle Sam. 13 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Common Propaganda Strategies There are many different definitions of the word, ‘propaganda’. This definition is an appropriate one for visual propaganda. Propaganda The communication of information for the sole purpose of promoting a cause or attempting to discredit an opposing cause by influencing the emotions, opinions and actions of a specific audience. Given in the next section is a list of strategies commonly used in the World War One propaganda posters of Britain and the United States. Some of the strategies described and illustrated are drawn from the widely known list of Seven Common Propaganda Devices published by an American Organisation, The Institute of Propaganda Analysis in 1937. Propaganda: good or bad? It is worth remembering that propaganda need not be thought of as a bad thing. Any country at war needs to mobilise public opinion to support its actions. In the case of World War One and World War Two, the Home Front, for the first time in 14 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS modern warfare, became as important in gaining victory as the Front. While recruiting men to fight was inevitably a major focus of propaganda, it was also necessary to gain public support for war savings schemes to fund the war effort. Neither Britain or America had the financial resources to fight the war over an extended period of time without this money. By 1917, Britain was nearly bankrupt and was only saved by a $700 million loan from the United States.10 The United States was in part able to make loans to other allied countries due to the success of its own Liberty Loans which raised billions of dollars from the American public.11 Propaganda was used to raise money from the public through the sale of Liberty Bonds and Savings Stamps. This money was important in financing the American war effort and lending money to allies. US Library of Congress 15 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Name Calling Name calling encourages people to form a judgement without pausing to examine the evidence. It appeals to the fears and hatreds of an audience with the aim of connecting a person, event or activity to a negative image or symbol. Title: Beat Back the Hun with Liberty Bonds. Artist: Strothmann, F, 1872-. Date Created/Published: USA, [1918] Medium: Print, colour. Summary: The terrifying figure of a German soldier with bloody bayonet and hands looms up on the horizon. The aim of the poster is to encourage Americans to invest in Liberty Bonds. US Library of Congress “Hun” was a derogatory term used by the Allies during World War One to describe German soldiers. The intention was to associate the enemy with the barbarians, the brutal, warlike nomadic tribes that originated from Central Asia. The term as applied to German soldiers actually originated from Kaiser Wilhelm II, when addressing his troops in China.12 Other common names for German soldiers during World War One were bosch, fritz and jerry. 13 16 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Glittering Generalities This strategy aims to associate a person, policy or action with a positive virtue through the use of words like love, generosity, freedom, truth, courage, honour, liberty, justice and progress. This strategy is opposite to Name Calling in that it tries to persuade the audience to accept something. Title: At the Front! Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 76 x 50 cm. Poster Number: 84 Summary: British soldiers on horse-back are shown narrowly avoiding an exploding shell. The soldiers are described as brave, therefore encouraging the audience to regard them as making sacrifices on behalf of their country. US Library of Congress 17 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Transfer Propagandists use this strategy to transfer the authority and prestige of something people respect, e.g. the national flag or the personification of the nation to something or someone they want the audience to respect. Title: National Service Artist: Scott, Septimus Edwin. 1879 -1965. Date Created/Published: London, D.A. & S. [1917] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 102 x 77 cm. Summary: Britannia holding the Union Jack points into the distance supposedly at the German threat. The caption calls for men to defend “your island from the grimmest menace” a quote from Prime Minister, David Lloyd George. US Library of Congress 18 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Testimonial This common strategy uses popular and respected public figures to endorse or provide testimonials concerning a proposed action or policy. It assumes that if people respect a person, they are more likely to follow their advice or do what they say. Title: Lord Kitchener says... Summary: A colour portrait of Lord Kitchener is shown alongside quotes from a speech he presented at Guildhall on 9 July, 1915. Kitchener the Secretary of State for War was a popular and highly respected figure in Britain at the time. Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour; 50 x 75 cm. Poster Number: 113 19 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Card Stacking Card stacking seeks to deceive people by presenting half-truths. Facts or other evidence that support a person or action are promoted while any facts that don’t are omitted. Associated with this strategy is the use of ‘red herrings’ or information deliberately intended to be misleading as a way of diverting attention away from the main issue. Title: Take Up the Sword of Justice Artist: Partridge, Bernard. 1861Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour; 76 x 50 cm. Poster Number: 105 Summary: A female figure rises from the sea holding a sword. In the background are people drowning and the torpedoed passenger ship Lusitania. US Library of Congress The passenger ship Lusitania was sunk by a German U-boat in 1914 during a scheduled voyage from New York to Liverpool. It was not revealed at the time that on board was a shipment of munitions for the British army. Germany had 20 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS already posted a warning advising American passengers that travel on allied ships was at their own risk. The sinking has raised much controversy since with some historians suggesting that Britain deliberately allowed the Lusitania to become a target in the hope that its sinking, and the loss of American passenger lives would bring the United States into the war.14 Title: Irishmen avenge the Lusitania Date Created/Published: Dublin, Central Council for the Organisation of Recruiting in Ireland, [1915] Medium: Chromolithograph, colour; 76 x 50 cm. Summary: The poster shows the Lusitania sinking in flames while people struggle in the water. The Lusitania was sunk off the Irish coast. US Library of Congress 21 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Revenge Stirring up a desire for revenge was a strategy used occasionally by World War One poster designers. Events that stirred public outrage provided the necessary focus. Notable events included the invasion by Germany of neutral Belgium, the sinking of the Lusitania and the Scarborough attack. The poster shown below was produced after bombardment of the coastal resort of Scarborough on 16 December, 1914. Two German battle cruisers came close to shore and began shelling the town. At about the same time, West Hartlepoole and Whitby were bombarded by three other German battle cruisers. The attack on Hartlepoole, an industrial town with docks and factories killed 9 soldiers, 97 civilian men and women and 37 children. Scarborough and Whitby suffered fewer losses with 21 killed and 100 wounded.15 Title: Men of Britain! Will You Stand for This? Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 102 x 76 cm. Poster Number: 51 Summary: This highly emotive poster shows a young girl holding a baby. She is standing near the shattered remains of a family home. US Library of Congress 22 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Bandwagon The goal of this strategy is to convince the audience that a person, idea or action has widespread support, even if it doesn’t. By making something seem popular, it will lead others to believe that it is something they should also be doing. This approach is still used in advertising today. This poster suggests that many young men were volunteering for military service in 1915. In reality, by the time this poster was published, voluntary enlistment was on the decline in Britain. Title: There’s Room for YOU. Enlist Today. Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 76 x 50 cm. Poster number: 122 Summary: Shown is a happy, excited group of young soldiers waving farewell from a train to well-wishers. The message to the audience is that there is still time to enlist and be part of this exciting adventure. US Library of Congress 23 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS The poster below provides another example of the bandwagon approach. This image and statement suggests that men of all social classes are resigning their positions and enlisting in the army. Title: Step Into Your Place Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 50 x 75 cm. Poster Number: 104 US Library of Congress 24 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Patriotism An appeal to patriotism was a common propaganda strategy during World War One. Many earlier posters included patriotic symbols like the flag, the royal crown or the British lion. John Bull, the national personification of Britain and Britannia feature also. Slogans such as “God Save the King”, “Rally Round the Flag!” and “Fight for King and Empire” were frequently used in the earlier posters where patriotism was assumed to provide the necessary motivation for young men to enlist. Title: Your King and Country Need You. Artist: Wood, Lawson, 1878-1957. Date Created/Published: London Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1914] Poster Number: 18 Summary: A veteran shakes the hand of a soldier about to board a train. Beneath the picture are the words, “A chip off the old block” suggesting that these young soldiers are prepared to go and fight for their country just as others have done in the past. US Library of Congress 25 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS It is interesting to compare the previous poster with the one below. The earlier version (shown on the previous page) was produced soon after the PRC was formed and placed a greater reliance on the use of patriotic slogans, e.g. “King and Country” and “Honour and Glory”. In this later poster, the veteran is no longer stooped and the soldier appears to be much younger. He is looking at the veteran rather than gazing away into the distance. The sketched background of the first showing a soldier farewelling his family at a train station is replaced with a more realistic scene showing a group of new conscripts marching past. Title: The Veteran's Farewell. Enlist Now! Artist: Dadd, Frank, 1851-1929. Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1914] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 75 x 50 cm. Poster Number: 63 Summary: The Veteran’s Farewell is a reworking of a previous poster with the same central characters. The veteran is farewelling a young soldier with the words “Good Bye, my lad. I only wish I were young enough to go with you!” In the background are men marching to enlist. US Library of Congress 26 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Guilt Masculinity and society’s expectations of men became a central theme in many of the recruitment posters published in Britain during 1915. The ‘Order of the White Feather’ was very active at that time. Female members of the Order would approach men in public places who were not in uniform and present them with a white feather, a symbol of cowardice.19 Posters used a similar strategy to embarrass or shame men into enlisting. This poster targets patriotic guilt. It is set in a future time after the war and suggests that children will hold their fathers to account if they fail to do their duty for king and country. Title: Daddy, what did YOU do in the Great War? Artist: Lumley, Saville Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 76 x 50 cm. Poster Number: 79 Summary: In this well-known poster a young girl paging through a book pauses to ask her father what he did in the Great War. The father looks sheepishly away suggesting that he did not fight. Meanwhile, his son plays with toy soldiers on the floor. US Library of Congress 27 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS A similar strategy challenging the masculinity of men is used in this poster published in Ireland. The woman, holding a rifle poses the question, “Will you go or must I?” as she gestures towards the burning city labelled ‘Belgium’ in the distance. Title: For the Glory of Ireland. Date Created/Published: Dublin, Ireland. Hely’s Limited Litho, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 74 x 50 cm. US Library of Congress 28 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Personal Appeal The personal appeal strategy attempts to establish an emotional link between the viewer and the character in the poster. The figure appears to be staring directly at the viewer and the pointing finger reinforces the point that the message is personal. The famous Kitchener poster discussed earlier and the iconic American version, Uncle Sam Needs You are other examples of this strategy. Title: Who's Absent? Is it You? Date Created/Published: London Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 74 x 50 cm. Poster Number: 125 Summary: The poster shows John Bull pointing and addressing the viewer, with the question, “Who’s absent? Is it You?”. In the background are burning buildings and a line of soldiers with gaps indicating some are missing. US Library of Congress The use of John Bull is significant in this poster. John Bull is the symbolic figure used to represent Britain and its people. The Union Jack waistcoat is another way of reinforcing this point. The artist uses just five words that demand a response from any reader passing by. Note also the use of two different typefaces for “Who’s absent?” and “Is it You?”. These help visually separate the more formal question about absence from the personalised one. 29 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS A similar strategy is used in this earlier PRC poster. It uses images of the king and a map of Britain. This poster makes a statement rather than asking a question, suggesting that it is reasonable to expect young men to enlist and fight for their king and country. Title: Surely You Will Fight for Your [King] and [Country]. Date Created/Published: London Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1914] Poster Number: 83 US Library of Congress 30 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Duty A problem faced by the PRC was how to get married men to enlist. Many married men held the view that their first duty was to care for their family, not to go off to war. Others simply believed that the war was for others to fight. Promoting the message that the war effort was a duty for all became a strategy adopted in a number of PRC posters. The aim of these posters was to negate any excuses that men might have for not enlisting. The message in this poster is very clear. Men can’t use families or wives as their excuse for not enlisting. It is those same women who are telling their men that they must go and fight. Title: Women of Britain say GO! Date Created/Published: London Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 74 x 50 cm. Poster Number: 75 Summary: Two women and a young boy stand at a window watching a troop of soldiers march past. The inference is that among the soldiers is a husband, father or brother of one of the women. The two women bravely watch the soldiers march away. US Library of Congress 31 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Below is another version of this strategy in which an elderly woman, presumably the young man’s mother is telling him that he must go and do his duty. This poster was published after the one shown on the previous page. Title: GO! It’s your duty lad. Date Created/Published: London Parliamentary Recruiting Committee, [1915] Poster Number: 109 US Library of Congress 32 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Fear The use of fear as a propaganda strategy has both advantages and disadvantages which probably explains why it was used sparingly in posters. On the one hand, fear can be a powerful motivator for getting people to support a cause. On the other hand, it is important during wartime to maintain public morale. The public must believe that the war is winnable otherwise there is no point in fighting. Title: Is YOUR home worth fighting for? Date Created/Published: Dublin [1915] Medium: Chromolithograph, colour ; 76 x 50 cm. Summary: A family preparing for their evening meal are disturbed by German soldiers bursting into their home with bayonets drawn. US Library of Congress 33 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Title: It is far better to face the bullets... Date Created/Published: London [1915] Publicity Dept. Central Recruiting Depot. Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 74 x 50 cm. Summary: A German zeppelin is lit up by a searchlight in the skies over London. US Library of Congress 34 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Other Wartime Poster Themes Recruitment of soldiers was a priority and therefore the focus of many posters produced during World War One in both Britain and the United States. Other wartime needs were also promoted through posters. These included justification of the war, raising of loans to finance the war effort, conservation of resources, support for other war torn countries and guidance on acceptable behaviour. Official and semi-official organisations produced posters aimed at educating the public on how to behave during wartime. US Library of Congress 35 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS War Loans The British Treasury issued the first war loan in November 1914.16 These war loans had a relatively high interest rate making them an attractive investment and enabling the government to finance much of the war effort. Investment in these loans was promoted by the Parliamentary War Savings Committee (PWSC) using posters like the one shown here. Title: Lend Your Five Shillings to Your Country... Date Created/Published: London Parliamentary War Savings Committee, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 76 x 51 cm. Poster Number: 23 Summary: A German soldier is shown being crushed under the weight of a giant coin making the link between war loans and defeating the enemy. US Library of Congress 36 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS The United States followed the British example for raising funds by issuing war bonds named Liberty Bonds. The first Liberty Loan was issued in June, 1917 and a second in October of that year. A War Loan organisation was formed to promote the bonds through speaking engagements, advertisements and posters. Sales of the bonds were so successful that it is estimated that half of all adults in the United States purchased them.17 Title: Your Forefathers Died for Liberty in 1776... Date Created/Published: Toledo, Ohio. [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 104 x 69 cm. Summary: The poster shows a Minute Man from 1776 armed with a rifle and fighting for liberty. The image aims to stir a feeling of patriotism in Americans and promote the sale of Liberty Bonds. US Library of Congress 37 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Conservation Conservation of essential resources like oil, rubber and iron is always essential during wartime. Equally important is the conservation of food supplies. Sufficient food must be available to feed both the soldiers fighting overseas and the civilian population at home. Title: Can Vegetables, Fruit and the Kaiser Too. Artist: Verrees, J. Date Created/Published: Washington, DC. National War Garden Commission [1918] Medium: Print, colour ; 52 x 63 cm. Summary: The poster shows jars of canned goods with labels including Peas, Tomatoes, and Monarch Brand Unsweetened which contains a caricature of Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany. US Library of Congress Britain, the United States and other allied countries encouraged citizens to grow their own produce in private, public and school gardens, (Victory Gardens). Preservation of produce was also promoted as a way of helping maintain national food supplies. 38 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Rationing and restrictions on the availability of certain foods was part of life for civilians during the war. The public was reminded to be careful with the food they ate so that wastage could be avoided. Title: Food is ammunition Artist: Sheridan, J. E. Date Created/Published: Washington, DC. United States Food Administration [1918] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; Summary: The poster links the wastage of food to the wastage of ammunition with a basket of food in the foreground and the silhouette of soldiers in the distance. US Library of Congress Title: Get behind our soldiers, sailors and our allies Date Created/Published: Washington, DC. US Food Administration [1917] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 28 x 53 cm 39 US Library of Congress Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Labour As the war progressed, gaps left in the workforce by men going overseas to fight were filled by women. The manufacture of munitions was essential as was the production of food. Posters like the one shown here promoted the message that working on the Home Front was as essential to winning the war as fighting on the Front. Title: Are You in This? Artist: Baden-Powell Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee [1917] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 76 x 50 cm. Poster Number: 112 Summary: A poster showing men and women labouring to support the war effort. In the background are soldiers and sailors. A well-dressed man stands to the right looking on with his hands in his pockets. US Library of Congress 40 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Aid Supporting victims of war in Europe was a focus for several relief organisations in Britain and the United States including the Red Cross, the Commission for Relief in Belgium and the American Committee for Relief in the Near East. These organisations raised money to help provide food and clothing for women and children in these war affected countries. Title: Lest We Perish Artist: Betts, Ethel Franklin Date Created/Published: New York Cornwall Graphic Co. [1918] Medium: Print, colour ; 52 x 63 cm. Summary: A near Eastern girl stands with her arms outstretched pleading for help. US Library of Congress 41 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Justifying the War Governments in Britain and America needed to justify involvement in the war in order to gain the support of the public. The poster shown below was released by the PRC in 1915. It contained the text from a speech given by the Prime Minister, Herbert Asquith. Title: Why More Men Are Needed. Date Created/Published: London PRC [1914] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 101 x 63 cm. Summary: The Prime Minister’s speech. “ It is going to be a long drawn-out struggle. We shall not sheathe the sword until Belgium recovers all and more than all, she has sacrificed; Until France is adequately secured against the menace of aggression; Until the rights of the smaller nations are placed in an unassailable foundation; Until the military domination of Prussia is finally destroyed”. THE PRIME MINISTER At the Guildhall, November 9th, 1914 42 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Portrayal of Women The traditional roles of men and women in society were challenged during World War One. Women were needed to fill the working roles of men so that they could be freed to fight overseas. Posters from this era, however show many traditional roles being reinforced. Some show women as innocent victims in need of protection. Others reinforce expectations of male roles in society by challenging their masculinity if they have failed to volunteer for military service. Some, like Howard Chandler Christy’s ‘Christy girl’ rely on an attractive woman to catch both male and female attention. In Britain, the National Union of Women’s Suffrage Societies supported the war and suspended its militant campaign to win voting rights. This led to the British Board of Trade issuing an appeal to women to register for war work. This work could be industrial, clerical or agricultural.18 The appeal led to thousands of women moving into the workforce. US Library of Congress 43 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS In the United States, a similar demand for female workers emerged. As more men were drafted overseas, businesses had to find workers able to fill their recently vacated positions. There was a particular demand for stenographers, telephone operators and telegraphers. Working in what had been a male dominated world proved difficult for these women. Wages were much lower than those paid to their male counterparts and work places often didn’t have suitable facilities such as female restrooms. Unions were generally opposed to women taking over work normally done by men. Title: Honor roll of women Date Created/Published: Philadelphia, Civilian Service and Labour Department. [1917] Medium: Print, colour ; 71 x 55 cm. Summary: Uncle Sam waits by a board ready to record the names of women who will volunteer to work to win the war. Note that it asks “Has he registered your name for service?”. US Library of Congress 44 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Victims Artists used images of women being victimised to generate anger and hatred of the enemy. Stories of German atrocities in Belgium were the focus of posters published in Britain and the United States. Images of women in distress were used in charitable campaigns to raise funds for victims of war in other parts of Europe. The “Lest We Perish” poster shown earlier is an example. Title: Enlist Artist: Spear, Fred. Date Created/Published: New York Sackett & Wilhelms Co. [1915] Medium: Print, colour ; 82 x 57 cm. Summary: This powerful image shows a mother cradling an infant under the water. It was published in response to the sinking of the passenger ship Lusitania by a German U-boat. US Library of Congress Fred Spear’s haunting poster of the sinking of the Lusitania is more subtle. It shows no more than a drowning mother clutching a baby with the single word, “Enlist”. So powerful is the image that Spear did not need to include any other reference to the Lusitania. Most viewers at the time would easily make the connection between the drowning mother and the horror of the sinking. 45 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Heroes Artists used women as personifications of the countries they represented. In the case of Britain, Britannia was portrayed in heroic poses. Britannia was the ancient Roman name for Britain. She is traditionally portrayed as a helmeted warrior with a shield emblazoned with the Union Jack and a spear. Title: Remember Scarborough! Artist: Kemp-Welch, Edith. Date Created/Published: London, Parliamentary Recruiting Committee [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 150 x 99 cm. Poster Number: 41 Summary: Britannia with the flag in one hand and a sword in the other leads a large line of men. In the background can be seen the town of Scarborough in flames. US Library of Congress 46 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS The female personification of America was traditionally Columbia. In 1917, Americans would have easily identified her. She fell out of favour as a symbol after World War One. Columbia was usually shown draped or dressed in the American flag with a Phrygian cap. Ironically, Flagg’s Uncle Sam is more widely recognised now as the personification of America. Title: Will You Have a Part in Victory? Artist: Flagg, James Montgomery. Date Created/Published: [1918] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 84 x 56 cm. Summary: Columbia is shown sowing seeds. This poster was part of the War Garden Commission Campaign to encourage people to grow some of their own food. US Library of Congress 47 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Volunteers The British and American governments were unwilling to allow woman to take on combatant roles in the war. Women however did serve overseas in the war zone as nurses, ambulance drivers, auxiliary nurses, telegraphers and cooks in hospitals. Thousands of women volunteered for nursing duties in both Britain and the United States. The British army was initially opposed to female military nurses. The only exception was the main corps of nurses from the Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service. This attitude led some enthusiastic volunteers Title: You Can Help Artist: Benda, Wladslaw T. Date Created/Published: [1918] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 77 x 51 cm. Summary: A woman is shown knitting an item for the soldiers fighting on the Front. US Library of Congress 48 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS to join the French and Belgian forces where they assisted in setting up hospitals and casualty clearing stations. In the United States, the Red Cross, Patriotic League and YWCA offered opportunities for women to volunteer their services. Aside from serving overseas in the war zone, nurses also served at home doing jobs such as rolling bandages, knit- ting socks and working in military hospitals. Posters of nurses often showed them tending to the wounded or even helping dying soldiers on the battlefield. The poster below was produced to help raise money for the French Red Cross. Title: For the French Red Cross Artist: Forestier, A. Date Created/Published: [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 77 x 51 cm. Summary: A Red Cross nurse stands with arms extended while others help wounded soldiers. In the background are the flags of France and the Red Cross. US Library of Congress 49 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Workers Demand for women to join the workforce increased as the war progressed. Female participation in manufacturing industries became critical. Women working in Britain’s munitions factories became known as munitionettes. They daily worked in dangerous conditions, risking their lives while working with poisonous substances. The chemicals used in shells often turned their skin yellow. Title: Women Are Working Day and Night To Win the War Date Created/Published: London, [1915] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 76 x 50 cm. Summary: Women are shown working at a lathe in a factory. A YWCA building can be seen in the background. The poster was designed to raise money for the provision of canteens, hostels and rest rooms for women in these factories. US Library of Congress 50 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS By 1915, Germany’s best chance of winning the war seemed to be starving Britain by maintaining a U-boat blockade of shipping. Britain responded to this threat by creating the Women’s Land Army, a force of ‘Land Girls’ from the towns and cities who worked on farms to help maintain Britain’s food supply. This poorly paid but important service grew to 260,000 volunteers by early 1918.19 Title: National Service Women’s Land Army Artist: Gawthorn, H.G. Date Created/Published: London, [1917] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 75 x 50 cm. Summary: A woman is ploughing a field with a horse-drawn plough. Beneath are the words “God speed the plough and the woman who drives it”. US Library of Congress A similar organisation known as the Women’s Land Army of America was formed in the United States in 1917. It employed urban women to work on agricultural land and was closely associated with the American suffrage movement. It was disbanded in 1921. 51 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Title: She is doing her part to win the war. Artist: Christy, Howard Chandler Date Created/Published: , [1917] Medium: Lithograph, colour ; 133 x 101 cm. Summary: A woman is baking using corn meal, rolled oats and barley. US Library of Congress Associated with the need to grow more food was the need to conserve existing supplies. This goal was achieved by encouraging housewives to alter their recipes to use less of some ingredients. Foods in short supply in the United States were wheat, sugar, some meats and fats. Americans were encouraged to substitute corn for wheat, eat more fish and beans and use syrups rather than sugar. 20 The poster above shows a young woman cooking with corn meal rather than flour and thereby doing her bit to support the war effort. 52 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Analysing a Poster A poster is a large printed document created for the purpose of providing information or for decoration. A poster might only use text or combine text and images to form a unified presentation. The following analysis questions can help gain information from historical posters. It is not necessary to follow the steps in the order they are presented here. Artist (or illustrator) • Who is the artist or creator of the poster? • What was the artist’s area of specialisation? • What purpose did the artist have for creating the poster? • What biases might have affected the viewpoint of the artist? • How familiar was the artist with the subject matter of the poster? Context Where was the poster created? When was the poster created? • What events or circumstances led to the creation of the poster? Audience • Who was the intended audience? Purpose • What was the main purpose for creating the poster? Main points What is the main point being made in the poster? 53 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Tone • What is the tone of the language used in the poster? Positive: E.g. friendly, respectful, optimistic, concerned. Neutral: E.g. formal, honest, informative, authoritative. Negative: E.g. harsh, judgemental, condescending, dictatorial. Strategy • What strategy has the artist adopted to enforce the message in the poster? E.g, guilt, fear, revenge. Facts or emotion • Does the poster rely on facts, or emotion to present its message? E.g. Are the words and images factual or emotive, imaginative or realistic? Significance • Why is the poster important in helping us understand the past? An example of a worksheet has been given over the page. The page can printed. 54 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com Poster Analysis A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS 1.1 The propaganda posters published during World War One served several important purposes. While recruitment was a priority, they also served other purposes, e.g. promoting savings schemes to raise money to fight the war, promoting patriotism and preserving essential resources. Analyse a World War One propaganda poster. 1. Context What events would have led to the creation of this poster? 2. Purpose Why do you think this particular poster was created? 3. Audience Who was the intended audience? 4. Author/creator What biases might have affected the creator of this poster? 5. Tone What is the tone of the poster? E.g. friendly, optimistic, formal, honest, informative, authoritative, harsh, judgemental. 6. Main points What are the main points expressed in the text on the poster? 7. Images How does the image reinforce the message in the text? 8. Propaganda strategy What propaganda strategy has the artist used? Consider words and images on the poster when answering this question. 55 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com 1 A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS References 1. Cassar, G. H. Asquith as War Leader. Edinburgh, UK: A & C Black. p.149 2. Simkins, Peter. (1988) Kitchener’s Army: The Raising of the New Armies 1914-1916. Manchester.UK: Manchester University Press, p.49 3. ibid. 4. Taylor, James. (2013) Your Country Needs You: The secret history of the propaganda poster. Glasgow, Scotland: Saraband. p.24 5. Cooper, John. Woodrow Wilson. New York, USA: Knopf Doubleday Publishing Group. p.391 Hollitz, John. (2010) Contending Voices. Volume III: Since 1865. New York, USA: Cengage Learning. p.91 Axelrod, Alex. (2009) Selling the Great War: The making of American propaganda. New York. USA: Macmillan. p.136 ibid. Fischer, David. (2004) Liberty and Freedom. New York, USA: Oxford University Press. p.451 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. Markham, Jerry. (2002) A Financial History of the United States: From Christopher Columbus to the Robber Barons (1492-1900) New York, USA: M.E. Sharpe. p.78 11. ibid. p.76 12. Hull, Isabel. (2013) Absolute Destruction: Military culture and the practices of war in Imperial Germany. New York, USA: Cornell Univ. Press. p.135 13. Hughes, Geoffrey. (2009) Political Correctness: A history of semantics and culture. Hoboken, USA: Wiley, p.170-71 14. 17. Schmidt, Donald E. (2005) The Folly of War: American foreign policy, 18982005. New York, USA: Algora Publishing, p.70 56 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS 15. Pennell, Catriona. (2012) A Kingdom United: Popular Responses to the Outbreak of the First World War. Oxford, UK: Oxford Univ. Press. p.31 16. Horn, Martin. (2003) Britain, France, and Financing the First World War. Montreal, Canada: McGill-Queen’s University Press. p.82 17. Markham, Jerry. (2002) A Financial History of the United States: From Christopher Columbus to the Robber Barons (1492-1900). New York, USA: M.E. Sharpe. 18. Storey, N. R. and Housego, Molly. (2010) Women in the First World War. Essex, UK: Osprey Publishing. p.31 19. Sondhaus, Lawrence. (2011) World War One: The global revolution. New York, USA: Oxford University Press. p.191 20. Eighmey, Rae Katherine. (2011) Food Will Win the War: Minnesota crops, cooks and conservation during World War I. Minnesota, USA: Minnesota Historical Society. p.156 57 Tirine Publishing www.tirine.com A QUICK GUIDE TO WORLD WAR ONE PROPAGANDA POSTERS Available from Tirine Publishing This e-book supports the following poster packs. HIS22S: World War I Propaganda Posters: Recruitment HIS27S World War I Propaganda Posters: Women at War Each poster has been reproduced at a standard size of 42 x 28 cms. Details of all posters are included in this e-book. Visit us at www.tirine.com TIRINE 58 Tirine Publishing History www.tirine.com