Saboteur (Combat the rat)
Public health sheet: a large rat drawn from close in towers over the word 'Saboteur', above six panels reading 'Rats spread plague', 'Spread typhus', 'Destroy food', 'Destroy property', 'Start fires' and 'Combat the rat'. The technique is name-calling, a wartime label applied to an animal, with a fear-appeal about disease and fire.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Federal Security Agency, U.S. Public Health Service
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Poster
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Mobilize or secure compliance
- Themes
- Health, Home front
- Event
- World War II
- Regime
- Roosevelt administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- 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 Posters, retrieved October 4, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Federal Security Agency, U.S. Public Health Service. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-1653 (NAID 515320).
Text on the object
SABOTEUR Rats Spread Plague . . . Spread Typhus . . . Destroy Food . . . Destroy Property . . . Start Fires . . . COMBAT THE RAT ASK YOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENT FOR DETAILS Federal Security Agency U. S. PUBLIC HEALTH SERVICE CHP 2 For sale by the Superintendent of Documents, U. S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D. C. GPO O - 43 - 529049
