Patriotic Service League: The Third Line of Defense
A large American flag rises over the Capitol and a crowd with raised arms, under the heading 'The Third Line of Defense'. The text invites viewers to join the league and 'Confound Prussia!', fusing membership with national identity and using 'Prussia' as a shorthand label for the enemy.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1917
- Period
- First World War
- Made by
- Patriotic Service League (New York)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- Movement
- Regime
- Wilson Administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- War and the military, Home front
- Event
- World War I
- Regime
- Wilson administration
- Leader
- Woodrow Wilson
- Source
- Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- Source
- U.S. National Archives (NARA), RG 4 (U.S. Food Administration), World War I Posters (NAID 512439), retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- NARA Unrestricted; hosted by owner decision
Patriotic Service League (New York). National Archives and Records Administration, 4-P-188.
Text on the object
PATRIOTIC SERVICE LEAGUE THE THIRD LINE OF DEFENSE JOIN TO-DAY and CONFOUND PRUSSIA! HEADQUARTERS OF THE LEAGUE 509 FIFTH AVENUE (42nd ST.) or 2745 BROADWAY (105th ST.) NEW YORK ERIE LITHOGRAPH CO., [illegible] N.Y.
The printer's imprint at the foot reads 'Erie Lithograph Co.' with a New York place line; the box number and a small number at lower right are too small to read confidently. A small 'P' mark at lower left is not transcribed.
