Peaceful Families Pictured With Warheads
This poster is from the 1950s and it plays well to the juxtaposition that many pieces of propaganda over the years have mastered. On one hand, it shows peaceful and happy people, but on the other, it features a giant missile that looks like it could destroy our planet. The caption says “we are peaceful people, yet our armored train stands at the ready.” This type of sentiment fed itself into the cold war and would remain a constant piece of messaging for more than three decades. In many ways, this poster was a piece of propaganda meant to prep the Russian population for future messaging that could draw them into serving the country during a time of war. This is a good but scary reminder that you don’t need to be in direct conflict to start recruiting the masses.
