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Home > Modern History > Core Study > World War I and its Aftermath 1914 - 1919: A Source-based Study > Primary sources for the study of World War I: recruitment and propaganda posters

Poster 4
Image of an early British recruiting poster, courtesy of the Australian War Memorial. (Copyright the A.W.M.)	Origin: A British recruitment poster. Motive: Recruitment - this was used before conscription came in (January 1916). Audience: Men of fighting age. In August 1914 this ranged between 19 and 35. By October it was extended to 38 years and later to 40 year olds. Content and Nature: Portrait of the King used. Lord Kitchener was more frequently used on recruiting posters. Note also the map of the British Isles. Thus: Fight for King and Country. A very simplistic poster that relies on patriotism to king and country. The emotional appeal is not as strong as in many of the posters used later in the war. A Final Point to Consider: How would the techniques used in this poster have worked today?

Poster 4

Fight for King and Country poster

Image of an early British recruiting poster, courtesy of the Australian War Memorial.
(Copyright the A.W.M.)

Origin: A British recruitment poster.

Motive: Recruitment - this was used before conscription came in (January 1916).

Audience: Men of fighting age. In August 1914 this ranged between 19 and 35. By October it was extended to 38 years and later to 40 year olds.

Content and Nature: Portrait of the King used. Lord Kitchener was more frequently used on recruiting posters. Note also the map of the British Isles. Thus: Fight for King and Country.

A very simplistic poster that relies on patriotism to king and country. The emotional appeal is not as strong as in many of the posters used later in the war.

A Final Point to Consider:

How would the techniques used in this poster have worked today?

Some questions to consider that are raised by this poster.

What emotions does the poster appeal to?
Why does the poster not contain the stronger appeals to emotions that were more common in later posters such as Poster 2?
How useful would this poster be in explaining methods used by the British Government to encourage volunteers for the army in the early stages of the war?