Happy Friday everybody, and welcome to this week's grand list!

Today we're looking at some of the finest pieces of wartime propaganda ever devised. Although largely considered to be a 20th century phenomenon, propaganda has existed probably since ruling elites met literacy. 

However, in the two great World Wars, we can see a staggering output of posters from governments all over the world, and it this variety makes the perusal of theses pieces such a fascinating pursuit.

Fascinating for me, I should say, as I can't speak for everyone else. Propaganda posters have been a private passion of mine ever since Sixth Form at school, where our history department had an extensive archive of reproductions of some fantastic posters.

I took one home to 'decorate' my room with, it depicted a Soviet infantryman tearing the head off a fluffy sheep, revealing a snarling wolf replete with Swastikas underneath. The caption, in Russian of course, cautioned: 'Comrade, beware! The enemy is cunning'.  This was the height of 'coolness' for me at that time, and I'm afraid to say little has changed and I have gone to great lengths to procure weird and wonderful posters ever since!

But enough about my obsessive collecting, without further ado, see what  you make of our list! They are in no order of quality or preference,

1.)'Destroy_this_mad_brute'_WWI_propaganda_poster_(US_version)

2.) Balkan_League_poster

3.) Der_Polnische_Wolf_Begehrt_Eure_Heimat_The_Polish_Wolf_Covets_Your_Country

4.) Frio

5.) German_National_People's_Party_Poster_Teutonic_Knights_(1920)

6.) How_the_Hun_Hates

7.) -I_am_Looking_Forward_to_Dictating_Peace_to_the_United_States_in_the_White_House_of_Washington.-_-_NARA_-_514556

8.) -Jap...You're_Next^_We'll_Finish_the_Job-_-_NARA_-_513563 (2)

9.) Japanese_Propaganda_WWII_India

10.) L'Entente_Cordiale_1915

11.) Polish_eagle_and_Soviet_soldier

12.) PropagandaNaziJapaneseMonster

13.) RomaniaDefeadted1916

14.) RussiaTruth

If you want to see these images in all their glory, please do take a look at our flickr photostream!

If you have any questions about the origin/rationale behind any of these posters, please ask and I will do my best to answer!