"Again the Springboard of Civilization!"
A helmeted soldier seen from behind, rifle with fixed bayonet in hand, stands on the North African coast facing a map of the Mediterranean, the bayonet pointing at Italy and Germany. The tell is glittering generalities: 'civilization' is invoked as a value and Africa as its springboard, while the soldier's service is placed in a long civilizational tradition.
Propaganda techniques used in this cartoon
- Date
- 1943
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- Office of War Information (cartoon artwork; artist Charles Alston)
- Region
- North America
- Country
- United States
- Medium
- Cartoon
- Issuer type
- State
- Regime
- Roosevelt Administration
- Leader
- Franklin D. Roosevelt
- Audience
- Domestic public
- Purpose
- Persuade or win support
- Themes
- War and the military, Race and ethnicity
- 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 (NARA), RG 208, OWI Cartoon Artworks and Mockups (NAID 535594), retrieved October 3, 2026
- Rights
- Public domain (U.S. government work)
Office of War Information. National Archives and Records Administration, RG 208, 208-COM-1 (NAID 535595).
Text on the object
AFRICA ITALY SICILY SARDINIA [partly cut off: "RDINIA"] CORSICA [partly cut off] FRANCE GERMANY YUGOSLAVIA GR "AGAIN THE SPRINGBOARD OF CIVILIZATION!" Alston OWI
