RA example of propaganda WWII

Up next post will focus on the marvel of World War II Soviet propaganda. The Soviets were masters at warping the Russian people's perceptions of reality and using art, monuments and rhetoric to do so. This poster is typical Proletariat fare and features the caption: The People and Army are One! At the time of this poster, the government was striving to involve the people back in the USSR in helping to support the war effort. Since the army was fighting abroad, the audience includes the men and women not able to serve. The enthymeme is a typical war-time ideal: What are the consequences of "supporting the troops" (an interesting idea even today) on the success of the army? The manufacturing and agricultural efforts of the people back home will feed and clothe the army, as well as supply it with needed weaponry. The fact that the government felt a need to issue this poster indicates that ordinary citizens felt that they could not contribute to the war effort. The logos of the argument is that (apparent) unity breeds success. I think that most people would find that a logical conclusion. However, the appeal of this piece of propaganda is rooted in pathos. For Russians, red is a very important color. It symbolizes both power and beauty and would appeal to the Marxian idea of communism and the idea of "everyone in it together." The faces of the people radiate pride in their calling and satisfaction in their work, implying that anyone who unites with the army will have those very same feelings. The ethos is established through the hammer and sickle sign, representing the twin foundations of communism: industrial and agricultural workers. The success of Soviet propaganda is debated, but I believe that these posters were effective. The Russian people always wanted that unity, but the Soviet government is the one who made a bungle of it all.