Morale, Propaganda and Patriotism in Britain, 1914-1918
Visual representations of the relationship between the war, the producer and the consumer

Robert Opie

At the outset of the First World War in 1914, the general mood in Britain was one of unrest. The Army had been called in to contain rioting workers, the police were needed to restore order amongst the female agitators of the suffragette movement, and in Ireland the clamour for home rule intensified. But with war declared against Germany, a different attitude began to pervade the nation’s consciousness, as the focus of attention moved away from internal strife to that of defeating a common enemy.

An immediate need was to recruit thousands of men to swell the ranks of the Army. A poster campaign was devised by the Parliamentary Recruiting Committee to encourage volunteers to sign up. One of the first images used was that of a stern General Kitchener pointing his finger at onlookers, ‘Join Your Country’s Army’. The artwork for this much imitated visual was drawn by Alfred Leete for a journal, London Opinion, and then adapted for the poster.

This poster campaign had the desired effect, but it also created a sense of purpose and patriotism amongst the general population. Everyone knew someone who was going off to war. Most of these posters had a straightforward message coupled with an emotive picture: ‘It is your duty’ or ‘You are Wanted at the Front, Enlist Today’. But there were also propaganda posters that played on people’s anxiety, such as ‘Is Your Home Worth Fighting For? It Will Be Too Late To Fight When The Enemy Is At Your Door, So Join Today’.