The Nerve Centre of War
Two radio operators in headphones listen intently above a photograph of a ship's radio room and a drawing of a warship and submarine. The slogan 'Brave men shall not die because we faltered' ties the factory worker's output to sailors' lives and places the risk of their deaths on the worker's performance (fear-appeal).
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- 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
- War and the military, Home front
- 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, expired)
Department of Munitions and Supply for Canada, c. 1939-1945. National Archives and Records Administration (NAID 44267511, 44-PF-574).
Text on the object
"On the Land . . on the Sea and in the Air . . the movement of every man and every piece of equipment is thoughtfully directed through the instruments you help to produce." THE NERVE CENTRE OF WAR BRAVE MEN SHALL NOT DIE BECAUSE WE FALTERED This message is issued by the Department of Munitions and Supply for Canada
