When browsing World War II posters, it is apparent that there is a vast collection that represents several issues and the government's effort through illustration, and photographs. The purpose behind was to keep the American people together and maintain high morale. At the same time, they also reveal the prejudice artists who aimed to motivate support for total victory against a clearly identified enemy. Throughout World War Two, photographs and posters were used as a means to control and influence the audiences. Often those photographs were manipulated to give inaccurate representations of the truth as states by (Collins 2). Although the principal weapons of World War II were the guns, tanks and bombs, there were other subtle forms of warfare such as the posters and films that battled to win the hearts and minds of the American citizen. The Government launched an aggressive propaganda with those posters with well-articulated strategies to win public support.
These posters definitely reveal the determination of the U.S. society to win the war and boost the morale. For example, the poster on WWII US Air Corps shows an air force pilot with a grim and determined expression on his face, ready for victory, with fighter pilots zipping behind in the sky (WWII US Air Corps 'Give us the Fire' 2016). Another poster that sought support to sustain the war effort was the “"Powers of Persuasion” (Powers of Persuasion 2016). The poster carries patriotic colors of red, white, and blue that convey American strength and appeals for patriotism, by using the power of persuasion. Women were included in those posters and campaigns, and a good example can be taken from the poster” We Can Do It”! by J. Howard Miller” (Its's A Woman's War Too 2016). The poster shows a strong woman, dressed in overalls and a bandana with muscular arms and again wearing the patriotic colors. Warner Bros. created even cartoon movies for world war propaganda, Private Snafu, an animated cartoon character was created for the military recruits. The producers tried to spread anti-Nazi propaganda and show the enemy in a negative light. In some ways, these cartoons were indicative of racism and their motive was primary to influence the intended audience. World War II propaganda was certainly effective as it motivated the citizens to be part of the war, even if they were not a solider at the frontlines. Those campaigns engaged all Americans in the war effort (Rudiger n.d.).
Works Cited
Collins, K. (n.d.).Photography in Propaganda. dickinson.edu, 1(1), 1–10.
"Powers of Persuasion." National Archives. 2016. Web. 25 March. 2016.
"Its's A Woman's War Too." National Archives and Records Administration. 2016. Web. 25 March. 2016
Rudiger, Chris." World War II and Propaganda.” stanford. n.d.. Web. 25 March. 2016
"WWII US Air Corps 'Give us the Fire'." allposters. 2016. Web. 25 March. 2016.
