Forensic Research Archive of Manipulation and Exploitation
Explosives: The Power That Wins Wars. Count on them to put it where it hurts most!, 1939 Canada poster: A halftone photograph

Explosives: The Power That Wins Wars. Count on them to put it where it hurts most!

A halftone photograph shows a gun crew in shorts and berets firing a field gun beside stacked ammunition boxes, under a red banner headed 'Explosives'. The slogan 'The power that wins wars' is a virtue-word claim attached to the product, and the photograph of a working gun crew links the factory output to the front.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Glittering generalities
Date
1939
Period
Second World War
Made by
Department of Munitions and Supply for Canada
Region
North America
Country
Canada
Medium
Poster
Issuer type
State
Regime
Mackenzie King Government
Leader
William Lyon Mackenzie King
Audience
Domestic public
Purpose
Mobilize or secure compliance
Themes
Home front, War and the military
Event
World War II
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 (Canadian Crown copyright, 50 years from publication, expired; no URAA restoration)
Department of Munitions and Supply for Canada. U.S. National Archives, World War II Foreign Posters (NAID 44267599).

Text on the object

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

EXPLOSIVES
THE POWER THAT WINS WARS
Count on them
TO PUT IT WHERE IT HURTS MOST!
This Message is issued by the Department of Munitions and Supply for Canada

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