World War II Propaganda History. John Philip Falter Poster Warning Against Fascist Tyranny “This World Cannot Exist Half Slave and Half Free,” 1942.

Anti-Fascist Poster

Broadside

Sacrifice for Freedom! This World Cannot Exist Half Slave and Half Free by John Philip Falter appeared in 1942 as part of the United States government’s wartime propaganda campaign designed to mobilize public support for the global struggle against fascism. Produced by the Office of Facts and Figures early in the American war effort, the poster draws directly upon Abraham Lincoln’s famous House Divided address to frame World War II as a moral conflict between freedom and authoritarian rule. By adapting Lincoln’s language to the international crisis of the 1940s, the poster presents the war as a defense of democratic society against the expansion of Axis power and emphasizes the stakes of the conflict for ordinary American families.

Sacrifice for Freedom! “This World Cannot Exist Half Slave and Half Free.” Washington, D.C.: Graphics Division, Office of Facts and Figures; Washington, D.C.: Government Printing Office, 1942. Poster designed by John Philip Falter depicting a frightened American family overshadowed by a looming figure representing oppression holding a cat of nine tails whip. The image visually interprets Lincoln’s warning that a divided political order cannot endure, transforming the metaphor into a global argument against fascist expansion. Falter, later widely recognized for his cover illustrations for The Saturday Evening Post, produced a dramatic composition in which the shadow of tyranny threatens domestic security and freedom. Posters of this type were widely distributed to communicate the ideological purpose of the war and to encourage public unity in the face of the Axis powers.

Government propaganda posters formed a central component of the United States wartime information campaign during the early years of World War II. The Office of Facts and Figures, established in 1941 and later incorporated into the Office of War Information, coordinated visual messaging intended to shape public understanding of the conflict and reinforce democratic values. By invoking Lincoln’s language and imagery associated with American political tradition, this poster connected the Civil War struggle over slavery to the twentieth century confrontation with fascist regimes. Poster measuring approximately 20 x 14 inches with original fold lines from distribution. Three small tears professionally repaired with light evidence of restoration. Overall good to very good condition. The poster stands as a vivid example of early American wartime propaganda linking national history to the ideological aims of the Second World War.

Item #21541

Price: $1,200.00