It's Our War

A gloved fist raised high grips a sledgehammer against red and blue brush-stroke fields, with the headline 'IT'S OUR WAR' split into red, white and blue words. The shared possessive fuses the viewer with the national effort (identity-fusion), and the worker's hammer, not a weapon, sets out the contribution as labour.

Propaganda techniques used in this poster

Identity fusion

Date

1939

Period

Second World War

Made by

Director of Public Information, Ottawa, under authority of the Minister of National War Services; artist Aldwinckle

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)
Director of Public Information, Ottawa (Department of National War Services), Canada, 1939-1945. U.S. National Archives, Record Group 44.

IT'S OUR WAR

[signature:] Aldwinckle

PRINTED IN CANADA
ISSUED BY THE DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC INFORMATION, OTTAWA, UNDER AUTHORITY OF THE MINISTER OF NATIONAL WAR SERVICES
[small code at lower left:] [illegible]