Propaganda

During World War I, posters were commonly used to get a point across. Posters were used to inspire, inform, and persuade. Between 1914 and 1920 about 1,900 posters were created. Most of them were directly related to war. Some, however, are from the post-war period. They illustrate the rise of Bolshevism and communism. Most of the posters were printed in the United States, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Russia.

Poster by: Vojtech Preissig, 1917

This is an example of the posters from back then. This poster portrayed soldiers as heroes. Telling men that they should join, that they owe it to their country to join.

Poster by James Montgomery Flag, 1917

One of the most famous posters. The first portrayal of “Uncle Sam” in World War I.

I looked through quite a bit of recruitment posters and they seem to use your emotions against you. I saw one that I could not save to put on here, but it was their soldiers getting killed. They were reaching out to you. Others were soldiers getting stabbed or covered in blood. They are tugging at your heart strings. It makes you feel like you have to enlist and if you do not you will feel bad. You will feel like you are just letting your soldiers die when they need your help.