We Want You!

A common theme in flag-waving propaganda is recruitment with a strong directive that it is your duty to serve. In the first poster below, a central figure with a pointing finger encourages men to enlist in the Red Army. This image is similar to the pointing figures of Uncle Sam and Lord Kitchener used in World War I recruitment posters in the U.S. and Britain. An interesting distinction in the Soviet poster is that the figure represents the common man where Uncle Sam and Lord Kitchener are representatives of the government.