Part A – Poster Analysis

For this assignment you will choose 3 propaganda posters from the links provided. You must choose 1 Canadian Poster, 1 American or British Poster, and 1 German, Japanese or Italian Poster. Also make sure you pick 3 different types of propaganda poster. This means they shouldn’t all be about recruiting men for the army, or conserving goods for the war effort etc.

Links:

Britain, Japan, Italy, Germany)

(Canada)

(Reminder about the 7 Tricks of Propaganda)

Answer the following questions about each poster you’ve chosen:

  1. For whom is the poster intended?

Poster #1 (Canada) / Poster #2 (US/BR) / Poster #3 (Ger/Ita/Japan)
  1. What is the poster trying to get the audience to do?

Poster #1 (Canada) / Poster #2 (US/BR) / Poster #3 (Ger/Ita/Japan)
  1. What symbols, key words or well-known images are used?

Poster #1 (Canada) / Poster #2 (US/BR) / Poster #3 (Ger/Ita/Japan)
  1. What is the emotion conveyed by the poster?

Poster #1 (Canada) / Poster #2 (US/BR) / Poster #3 (Ger/Ita/Japan)
  1. Does the poster use one of the “7 Tricks of Propaganda” we learned about in class? Explain which one(s) and how the trick is being used.

Poster #1 (Canada) / Poster #2 (US/BR) / Poster #3 (Ger/Ita/Japan)

Part B - Assignment

Now that you’ve analyzed 3 propaganda posters from different countries, your assignment is to create a WW2 propaganda poster yourself. The poster can be done from the perspective of any of the major countries in the war, and must include the following:

-At least one of the 7 Tricks of Propaganda being used.

-A persuasive combination of symbols, key words and/or well known images to convince the poster’s audience to do what you want them to do.

-Full colour and neat/carefully done art work.

You can make the poster on the computer or by hand. Here are some suggestions for the topic or purpose of your poster:

  • Enlistment and recruitment (any branch of the armed forces)
  • Financing of the war (selling war bonds/victory bonds)
  • The role of women (what can they be doing to help out the war effort)
  • Rationing during the war
  • The home front (war production, changes in people’s everyday lives)
  • Possible negative effects of Axis (enemy) victory in the war
  • Aiding our allies
  • The evils of fascism
  • Why we need to fight our enemies
  • Being vigilant of spying/sabotage and avoiding “loose talk

On the back of your poster, please answer the same 5 questions that we answered for the example posters for your own poster.

  1. For whom is the poster intended?
  2. What is the poster trying to get the audience to do?
  3. What symbols, key words and/or well known images are used?
  4. What is the emotion conveyed by the poster?
  5. Does the poster use at least 1 of the “7 Tricks of Propaganda”? Explain which one(s) and how the trick is being used.