Turmoil and unity

First World War: Breakthrough of the political poster

Unlike cultural and advertising posters, which were already prevalent during the 19th century, very few political posters appeared during that period. It was only during the First World War that they started to appear in large numbers. After the war, political propaganda posters became an intrinsic part of public life in many European countries, as political parties battled for public attention.

Posters that talk

The famous ‘Your country needs you!’ armed forces recruitment poster from 1914, in which an officer points at passers-by and seems to address the viewer individually, was innovative and powerful. It inspired the creation of many similar posters. The British ‘prototype’ featured the Secretary of State for War, Field Marshall Lord Kitchener, but the posters that followed chose other types of iconic figures. For example, the American poster shows Uncle Sam, a popular personification of the American nation. While a Russian poster displayed below features an ordinary soldier.

Financing the war

In order to finance the immense costs of the first industrialised war, countries participating in the First World War issued war bonds. Posters proved to be an efficient medium for appealing to citizens to contribute their money to the war effort.

Ideological conflict and war

After the end of the First World War and the dramatic changes that followed the Russian revolution, Europe saw the gradual rise of authoritarian and totalitarian regimes. Dynamic, martial and aggressive posters with strong colours reflected the ideologies and the menacing atmosphere of that period. They depict the alliances that were being formed and anticipate the eventual confrontation and destruction of the Second World War.

Above: a design for a recruitment propaganda poster that was probably never printed, from the very short period of the Hungarian Soviet Republic

The striking poster below shows a Wehrmacht soldier hitting the red dragon of Bolshevism with two lightning bolts shaped like a ‘V’ for Victory and reveals Germany’s intentions against its former ally. The poster shows Nazism as Europe’s only saviour. Yet, far from being a champion of freedom, a victorious Nazi regime would only dictate its own will over the rest of Europe.

With the end of the Second World War approaching, this Soviet poster conveyed the hope for a free Europe. Europe appears as an enslaved young woman. The swords of three powers, the United States, the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union, are ready to set her free. The monumental yet touching image of the personified Europe refers to common human values and not to national or class narratives.

The poster below won a contest run for Youth Day in Yugoslavia, a major festival that also celebrated Tito’s self-proclaimed birthday. A scandal arose when it was discovered that the image copied Richard Klein’s Nazi painting ‘The Third Reich’. The artists’ provocative and unspoken statement was that irrespective of their professed ideology, all authoritarian regimes use similar means to appeal to people.

Destruction and relief

Posters are historical sources. However, they are always biased and often carry ideologically charged propaganda. An event such as the aerial bombing of a city might appear either as an issue to protest against or as a joyful event, uniting allies against their enemies.

By the end of the Second World War, however, suffering and destruction had become the subject matter of posters. Through the power of the images they showed, posters became ideal tools to advocate for action to help relieve poverty and hunger.

Issued by the Ministry of Propaganda of the Republican Government during the Spanish Civil War, this poster (above) is a call to arms. Produced in English, it tries to move an international public to its cause, encouraging the British public to join the fight against fascism. The disturbing photomontage shows the corpse of a little girl with morgue identification tags superimposed on the picture of military aeroplanes flying in formation. In November 1936, with the support of German and Italian air forces, General Franco bombarded Madrid, destroying a large part of the capital. Air raids against civilian populations were a bitter novelty of the 1930s, which would expand in scope and destructive force during the Second World War. In this respect, the poster seems almost prophetic. It warns that if the international community tolerates ‘the “military” practice’ of air raids, their ‘children will be next’.

The CARE programme was created to deliver US help to a Europe destroyed by the war.

Europe after the Second World War

In a Europe still recovering from war and divided into two opposing blocs, many believed that European unity was the only way ahead. This poster contrasts the oppressive uniformity of life under the communist regimes with the optimism represented by the flag of the European Federalist Movement.

Marshall plan – Comecon

After the Second World War, two separate recovery programmes reflected the division of Europe into the spheres of influence of the two superpowers. The United States initiated the Marshall Plan to help European countries rebuild, and the Soviet Union reacted shortly after with Comecon – the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance between socialist states. Posters for both initiatives made prominent use of flags to arouse national pride, while symbolising transnational cooperation.

In 1950, the Marshall Plan became the subject of a poster competition, based on the theme ‘Intra-European cooperation for a better standard of living’. Twenty-five designs were chosen from among 10,000 posters submitted by artists in 13 of the European nations participating in the Marshall Plan.

After the Second World War, two separate recovery programmes reflected the division of Europe into the spheres of influence of the two superpowers. The United States initiated the Marshall Plan to help European countries rebuild, and the Soviet Union reacted shortly after with Comecon – the Council for Mutual Economic Assistance between socialist states. Posters for both initiatives made prominent use of flags to arouse national pride, while symbolising transnational cooperation.

Comecon was founded in 1949, but this promotional poster dates from 1976. Despite the time gap with the Marshall Plan poster, it uses similar symbols, such as the ship and flags.

The road to European Integration

The idea of the European countries working together in unity for a better present and future was a direct response to the experiences of the devastating Second World War. These posters were created in order to promote or to oppose the idea of European integration. Since the 1990s, the posters have made extensive use of the stars of the European flag – the flag of the Council of Europe that had been introduced as a flag of the European Communities in 1985.

Above: Poster designed by a young artist won a prize at the inter-school competition celebrating the 5th anniversary of the Treaties of Rome. (left) Poster from the 1972 campaign in Norway against joining the European Economic Community. (right)

Above: Poster promoting the first direct elections for the European Parliament, featuring the flags of the then nine Member States of the European Economic Community.(left) Poster for the anarchist magazine De Vrije (left) using similar design.