Cold-Blooded Murder! Remember Germany's Crowning Infamy
A text-only recruiting poster that leads with the Lusitania sinking, then lists eight charges beginning 'Germans have', from murdered civilians and gas at Ypres to poisoned wells in South Africa, and ends 'Enlist to-day'. Documented events and unverified claims share one typeface and one format with no dates, places or sources, and the closing label 'German barbarians' sums up the list.
- Date
- 1915
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- Parliamentary Recruiting Committee (United Kingdom), poster no. 97; printed by Roberts & Leete Ltd., London
- Region
- Western and Central Europe
- Country
- United Kingdom
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Mixed
- Regime
- Asquith Government
- Leader
- Herbert Henry Asquith
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Recruit
- Themes
- War and the military, Media and information
- Event
- World War I
- Techniques
- Card stackingName-callingFear appeal
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- Library of Congress, retrieved September 27, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain in the U.S. (published before 1931)
1915. Library of Congress, LC-USZC4-11309.
Text on the object
COLD-BLOODED MURDER! REMEMBER GERMANY'S CROWNING INFAMY THE SINKING OF THE LUSITANIA, WITH HUNDREDS OF WOMEN & CHILDREN Germans have wantonly sacked Cities and Holy Places. Germans have murdered thousands of innocent Civilians. Germans have flung vitriol and blazing petrol on the Allied Troops. Germans have killed our Fisherfolk and deserted the drowning. Germans have inflicted unspeakable torture by poison gases on our brave Troops at Ypres. Germans have poisoned wells in South Africa. Germans have ill-treated British Prisoners. Germans have assassinated our Wounded. THESE CRIMES AGAINST GOD AND MAN ARE COMMITTED TO TRY AND MAKE YOU AFRAID OF THESE GERMAN BARBARIANS The place to give your answer is THE NEAREST RECRUITING OFFICE ENLIST TO-DAY
