The Posters That Sold World War 1 to the American Public

A vehemently isolationist nation needed enticement to join the European war effort. These advertisements were part of the campaign to do just that

On July 28, 1914, World War 1 officially began when Austria-Hungary declared war on Serbia. In Europe and beyond, country after country was drawn into the war by a web of alliances. It took three years, but on April 2nd, 1917, the US entered the fray when Congress declared war on Germany.

The government didn’t have time to waste while its citizens made up their minds about joining the fight. How could ordinary Americans be convinced to participate in the war “Over There”, as one of the most popular songs of the era described it?

Posters - which were so well designed and illustrated that people collected and displayed them in fine art galleries - possessed both visual appeal and ease of reproduction. They could be pasted on the sides of buildings, put in the windows of homes, tacked up in the workplaces, and resized to appear above cable car windows and in magazines. And they could easily be reprinted in a variety of languages.

To merge this popular form of advertising with key messages about the war, the US government’s public information committee formed a Division of Pictorial Publicity in 1917. The chairman, George Creel, asked Charles Dana Gibson, one of most famous American illustrators of the period, to be his partner in the effort. Gibson, who was president of the Society of Illustrators, reached out to the country’s best illustrators and encouraged them to volunteer their creativity to the war effort.

These illustrators produced some unforgettable images, including one of the most iconic American images ever made: James Montgomery Flagg’s stern image of Uncle Sam pointing to the viewer above the words, “I Want You for U.S. Army.” The illustrators used advertising strategies and graphic design to engage the casual passerby and elicit emotional responses.

How could you avoid the pointing finger of Uncle Sam or Lady Liberty? How could you stand by and do nothing when you saw starving children and a (fictional) attack on New York City?

“Posters sold the war,” said David H. Mihaly, the curator of graphic arts and social history at the Huntington Library. “These posters inspired you to enlist, to pick up the flag and support your country. They made you in some cases fear an enemy or created a fear you didn’t know you had. Nations needed to convince their citizens that this war was just, and we needed to participate and not sit and watch.” Despite the passage of 100 years—as well as many wars and disillusionment about them—these posters retain their power to make you stare. Good and evil are clearly delineated. The suffering is hard to ignore. The posters tell you how to help, and the look in the eyes of Uncle Sam makes sure you do. The United States produced approximately 2,500 poster designs and approximately 20 million posters—nearly one for every four citizens—in less than two years.

The Posters That Sold World War Questions

1. According to the headlines and the first two paragraphs, why did the American government have to convince Americans to join the war effort?

2. The article lists a number of reasons why posters were a great medium to communicate with the public. In your own words, explain two qualities of posters that made them the ideal medium to convince Americans to join the war effort.

3. Who did the US government and chairman of the Division of Pictorial Publicity hire to make these illustrations? What does that tell you about how seriously the government took this campaign?

4. According to David H. Mihaly, why did posters sell the war? How did posters speak to the American public?

Techniques of WWI Posters

These posters encouraged Americans to buy the first Liberty Loans and later, Financial Support the Victory Liberty Loan. Additionally, they advertised other miscellaneous war bonds and war savings stamps. These posters encouraged enlistment in the United States Army, Air Force, Recruitment Marines, Navy, American Field Service, Radio Signal Corps, and a variety of local and state regiments. Patriotic posters, produced by the government and a variety of state civilian associations, encouraged farmers, workers, women, and children to engage in Patriotic Appeals war work and support their country's war effort. Among those encouraging general patriotism are warning messages to watch for spies, avoid rumors and avoid "war talk". Conservation posters encouraged citizens to conserve food, fuel, and other Conservation supplies for the war effort. These posters were usually aimed at women and children on the homefront. Relief Request These posters requested aid for foreign countries, children, families, and soldiers in support of the war effort. Foreign These urged Americans to support the Allies against the aggressors in Europe, Demonization Africa, and Asia, and often depicted enemy nations as evil assailants. Organizational Organizational posters related to various relief and membership efforts by the Promotion Red Cross, the YWCA, the YMCA, and other organizations. These were used to fundraise and encourage Americans to volunteer.

Types of WWI Posters: Argumentative or Persuasive

Argument Persuasive

Using reasoning or evidence to convince Use personal, emotional, and moral appeal to Goal audience of an idea, claiming that an idea or convince an audience to support an idea suggestion is the truth

 Takes a stance on an idea  Suggests something you the viewer / Methods  Uses numbers or facts that can be audience can do verified to build an argument or claim  Uses persuasive language - often appealing to your emotions or morals

Examples