Wartime Propaganda
The Posters that Influenced the
Home Front
What does propaganda mean?
• Random House Dictionary Definition:
“information or ideas methodically spread
to promote or injure a cause, group or
nation”
• But what does that mean? Propaganda is a
form of advertising to get an idea across to a
group of people. Sometimes the idea is
true, but sometimes the idea is a lie.
What kind of propaganda was
used on the US home front?
• The United States government wanted the
people of America to believe fighting World
War II was the right thing to do.
• They formed an agency called the Office of
War Information (OWI).
• OWI controlled the news and thought up
ways to show their idea to Americans.
• Most of the information from the OWI was
true. They brought the war closer to home.
How did the government show
the propaganda?
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Radio
Movies (“Movietone News”)
Magazines
Newspapers
Posters
What ways could propaganda be shown
today? Are there any different means
(ways) then during World War II?
Tell me more about the posters!
• Posters were a way for
everybody to see what
America was fighting
for. They could be
posted anywhere from
train stations to
bathrooms!
• Most posters were not
photographs. They
were painted by very
talented artists.
“Thanks for Loafing, Pal!”
• The posters in home
front America had a
variety of messages.
• This poster warned
against being lazy in
the workplace.
• Hitler was thanking an
American worker,
because slow
production meant
Germany could win.
More Reasons for Posters
• The posters during the
war had many themes.
• Some major themes
were conserving,
working hard, spying,
recruiting, and
reminding America
what they were
fighting for.
• What do you think this
poster is about?
Where could I find out more?
• Design For Victory
By: William L. Bird,
Jr. and Harry R.
Rubenstein
• WWII Propaganda
Posters
• Power of Persuasion:
Poster Art from World
War II
Resources
• Information and pictures from:
• Bird, W. L. & Baltes, P. B. (1998). Design
for victory: World war ii on the american
home front. New York: Princeton
Architectural Press.
• Pictures from pages (in order of
appearance) 37, 70, 42, 90
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