Forensic Research Archive of Manipulation and Exploitation
British Weapons to Defeat Hitler - Britain is Building 30,000 Tanks to Destroy Her Enemies, 1939 UK poster: A navy-blue tank

British Weapons to Defeat Hitler - Britain is Building 30,000 Tanks to Destroy Her Enemies

A navy-blue tank silhouette on an orange ground is explained in plain text ('This is a tank'), with inset drawings comparing it to an elephant and a horse, and the footer 'Britain is building 30,000 tanks to destroy her enemies'. The tells are the unsourced production figure and strengths-only description (card-stacking), and the 'crushing down anything in their path' wording (fear-appeal).

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Card stackingFear appeal
Date
1939
Period
Second World War
Made by
British government (printed in England by Greenslade & Co. (Reading) Ltd. for H.M. Stationery Office)
Region
Western and Central Europe
Country
United Kingdom
Medium
Poster
Issuer type
State
Regime
Churchill Government
Leader
Winston Churchill
Audience
Mixed
Purpose
Reassure
Themes
War and the military, Science and technology
Event
World War II
Regime
Churchill wartime government
Leader
Winston Churchill
Source
Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
Source
U.S. National Archives and Records Administration, Record Group 44, World War II Foreign Posters, retrieved October 3, 2026
Rights
Public domain (UK Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired before 1996; no URAA restoration)
British government; printed for H.M. Stationery Office by Greenslade & Co. (Reading) Ltd. U.S. National Archives, WWII Foreign Posters (NAID 44266336, 44-PF-122d).

Text on the object

Original (English) · read from the image, not independently checked

BRITISH WEAPONS
TO DEFEAT HITLER

THIS IS A TANK

TANKS are moving forts, invented by Britain in the last war. They are covered with thick steel armour and carry powerful cannon and machine guns.

Tanks can travel fast over any kind of country, crushing down anything in their path.

The tank is far bigger and heavier than an elephant and much more dangerous!

In spite of its size and weight the tank in battle is swifter than a horse.

BIGGER THAN AN ELEPHANT
SWIFTER THAN A HORSE

BRITAIN IS BUILDING 30,000 TANKS
TO DESTROY HER ENEMIES

PRINTED IN ENGLAND BY GREENSLADE & CO. (READING) LTD.
FOR H.M. STATIONERY OFFICE.

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