https://chineseposters.net/gallery/e15-687
Designer unknown (佚名)
Ca. 1937
Swear to defend the nation to the death
Shiyu guotu gong cun wang (誓与国土共存亡)
Publisher: Junweihui zhengzhibu (軍委會政治部)
Size: 80×52 cm.
Call number: BG E15/687 (Landsberger collection)
This anti-Japanese propaganda is made by the Nationalist Party (Guomindang國民黨). The message of this poster is straightforward as it says “誓与国土共存亡”, which means “Swear to defend the nation to the death” at the bottom of the poster. This poster portrays a dedicated soldier standing tall on the wall with a rifle in his hand and looking into the distance. Another thing to notice is the soldier’s helmet. It resembles the iconic Stahlhelm used in the German Armies both in WWI and WWII. This doesn’t mean the soldier is from Germany; the German heritage of his equipment is because the Nationalist Party and German had decades-long friendship even before WWII. Therefore many Nationalist Party’s soldiers used German equipment.
The use of black and red on this poster makes the viewer feel the tension and seriousness of war with the words telling people to defend their homeland.
