{"product_id":"original-u-s-wwi-committee-of-public-safety-the-world-cannot-live-half-slave-half-free-prussian-blot-propaganda-poster-20-x-30","title":"Original U.S. WWI Committee of Public Safety “The World Cannot Live Half Slave, Half Free” Prussian Blot Propaganda Poster - 20 x 30”","description":"\u003cp\u003eOriginal Item. Only One Available. From the outbreak of World War I until America's declaration of war in April 1917, the official posture of the country had been neutrality. There was concern whether German-Americans would fight against the Kaiser and whether Irish-Americans would fight alongside the British. Even after America entered the war, the public was far from unified behind the cause. There were vocal misgivings from intellectuals, labor leaders, progressive reformers and long-time isolationists.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eTo meet these concerns, Wilson launched an all-out effort to gain wider public support. On April 15, he created the Committee on Public Information, headed by a former muckraking journalist, George Creel (Ibid., 55-57). The Committee conducted a \"vast enterprise in salesmanship,\" in which it \"extolled American greatness and condemned German barbarism by using sensational stories of atrocity, which were later discredited.\" (Ibid., 10). It was \"charged with the task of directing the release and suppression of government news to promote the 'absolute justice of America's cause, the absolute selflessness of America's aims.'\" (Venzon 1995, 162). Other organizations helped in this effort. The Council of National Defense had been created in 1916 to coordinate mobilization efforts, and had created State Councils of Defense to assist it; after the war began, \"The state councils became primarily propaganda agencies to generate public support for the war effort.\"\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis is an incredibly scarce WWI propaganda poster, that truly encapsulates the meaning of “propaganda”. This 20 x 30” poster was created by the authority of the Committee of Public Safety. It depicts a map of Europe with Germany’s “enslaved” population, showing that\u003cstrong\u003e 100,000,000 PEOPLE ALREADY ENSLAVED BY GERMANY\u003c\/strong\u003e. This could not have been further from the truth, but propagandists during this period lied about the reasons for joining the war to support their interests. Germany was not enslaving people nor did it have goals for “world domination”. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe poster shows some minor tearing along fold creases with minor tearing along the edges as well. The color is very well-retained, and this example would look outstanding in a frame.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe first example of this rare poster we have ever offered, ready for display!\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Original Items","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":45303798759493,"sku":"ONAC25PS70","price":395.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/1524\/1342\/files\/ONAC25PS70__01.jpg?v=1783365176","url":"https:\/\/www.ima-usa.com\/products\/original-u-s-wwi-committee-of-public-safety-the-world-cannot-live-half-slave-half-free-prussian-blot-propaganda-poster-20-x-30","provider":"International Military Antiques","version":"1.0","type":"link"}