We French workers warn you... defeat means slavery, starvation, death
Home-front war-production poster: a crowd of French workers in caps raise their hands before a red wall notice headed 'Official Vichy Decree' (partly hidden). The headline speaks in the voice of the French workers, warning American workers that defeat means slavery, starvation and death. The technique is fear-appeal, with the workers as a testimonial voice.
Propaganda techniques used in this poster
- Date
- 1942
- Period
- Second World War
- Made by
- War Production Board, War Production Drive Headquarters (artist Ben Shahn)
- 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
- Home front, Labor, War and the military
- 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)
War Production Board, War Production Drive Headquarters (artist Ben Shahn). National Archives and Records Administration, RG 44, 44-PA-246 (NAID 513688).
Text on the object
We French workers warn you... defeat means slavery, starvation, death OFFICIAL VICHY DECRE[illegible] [illegible] ages of 18 and 50 and unmar[illegible] persons of fo[illegible]ex betw[illegible] be obliged to [illegible] any wo[illegible] necessary [illegible] in the super[illegible] inter[illegible] o[illegible]nation [signature: Ben Shahn] [imprint: GPO 1942 O-491777] [imprint: Poster A-25. War Production Drive Headquarters, WPB, Washington, D.C.]
Wall notice is partly hidden by hands and the poster edge; hidden letters marked [illegible].
