Top 10 Propaganda Posters

It’s fair to say the Nazi Party had a penchant for propaganda, and this particular piece has to be one of the heaviest images of anti-American-ness ever known. Drawn by Norwegian cartoonist Harald Damsleth, “Liberators” shows the United States as a mechanical, morally-flawed monster carving a trail of destruction through Europe. The U.S. is shown as a gun-toting, bomb-dropping, money-grabbing, sex-obsessed race, set out to fulfill the exact opposite of this poster’s title pledge... this is the American Dream given a nightmarish makeover!

If there’s one thing that propaganda posters do well, it’s racism. Following the attack on Pearl Harbor and America’s entry into the already raging Second World War, caricatured Oriental figures could be found all over advertising and everyday life. This poster and ones like it were done to dehumanize the Japanese as much as possible and lessen negative feelings at home as conflict between the two nations increased. With its buck teeth, big ears, exaggerated eyes, and poor grammar “Open Trap make Happy Jap” is a notorious example of racial dehumanization.

There are two distinct strategies when it comes to conveying subliminal messages in a time of conflict – paint the enemy as evil, or make yourself look righteous. The makers of “To Defend USSR” chose the latter. Here, the might of the USSR is presented beyond any doubt. Adopting a cubist, machine-like look, the Red Army is presented as seemingly impenetrable. Projecting strength and nationalism, the image suggests that the defenders of Mother Russia can only be marching towards victory and there is no one who can stand in their way.

The message is clear: if you don’t buy liberty bonds, you are aiding a monstrous enemy to invade from across the Atlantic. Created at the height of World War One, “Beat Back the Hun” is a brutalizing look at the German Army seen through the eyes of the United States of America. The poster’s striking contrast between dark, dirty skin and red, gleaming blood is enough to give anyone bad dreams at night... and it was enough to have many Americans reaching for their purse-strings, pronto!

Sometimes the best way to drum up camaraderie during times of war is to present that war as realistically as possible. Designed in 1917 by Maurice Neumont but not released until 1918 as German armies were advancing in France, this stirring image depicts defiance in the face of very real fears in Allied Europe that opposition forces might be too strong. However, Allied forces did not give up and – like the poster’s soldier – held their ground. More than a motivational picture, this French poster helped popularize a mantra used for the remainder of the First World War.

Keep calm and milk a meme. It’s not often that a propaganda slogan translates particularly effectively into pop-culture, but in the case of this poster the switch has been made seamlessly. Designed as a morale boost for the British public in 1939 as the Second World War loomed ahead, “Keep Calm” wasn’t actually displayed during the conflict itself. In fact, most of the 2.5 million copies of the poster were pulped by 1940. When uncovered in the year 2000, however, the motto was still perfectly reflective of the UK’s stereotypical ‘stiff upper lip’.

Anything the West can do, the East can do just as well. As caricatured and exaggerated as anything seen Stateside, this bloody massacre of a message sees the Chinese public warned against the Western “Imperialist” way. A less than friendly U.S. General Douglas MacArthur has U.S. war crimes placed literally into his hands, while the bombs that had become synonymous with America post-WWII destroy a Chinese factory. Released at the beginning of the Korean Conflict, there’s nothing ‘cold’ about this hellish cold war scene.

An atypically complex example of British First World War propaganda, this poster delivered a powder keg of emotional blackmail and guilt. Prior to the introduction of conscription in 1916, the British war effort relied upon volunteers, supplies of which had peaked in 1914. Devised by Arthur Gunn and artist Savile Lumley, the poster was aimed at recruiting otherwise uninvolved but able men into the war. The “Daddy” poster was so effective, in fact, that Gunn himself volunteered soon after; however, Lumley would apparently disown the work following the end of the war.

Although only produced for the workforce of one single company, ‘Rosie the Riveter’ has had us rolling up our sleeves for years! J. Howard Miller created the now iconic image, thought to be based on factory worker Geraldine Hoff, to inspire the employees at Westinghouse Electric to keep churning out plastic helmet liners for the U.S. war effort. Since its resurfacing in the 1980s, the image has come to stand for all manner of motivational purposes, especially and most obviously among feminist and women’s groups. Before we unveil our top pick, here are a few honorable mentions: - “U.S. Invaders Must Be Defeated” (1951) - “The Guarantee of German Military Strength” (1930s) - “Above and Beyond the Call of Duty” (1943) - “North and South United” (1960s) - “Avenge Pearl Harbor” (1942-43)

We end our list with some full-on, unapologetic tugging at one nation’s patriotic heartstrings! Although Uncle Sam imagery had been in use since at least 1812, it was this 1917 poster, used for the recruitment drive in both the First and Second World Wars, that made him an icon. Effectively a remake of an equally iconic British recruitment poster – which featured Lord Kitchener – the James Montgomery Flagg-designed poster is proof to the power of eye contact. No self-respecting man would take a stare down from Uncle Sam and turn away from their duties! For good or bad, he wants YOU. Do you agree with our list? Whose propaganda passed us by? For more subliminally influential top 10s published daily, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.