Audience: If Russia Should Win

The “If Russia Should Win” propaganda poster aimed to instill fear in its audience, American men. It creatively depicted a beautiful woman being crushed by a domineering USSR soldier, illustrating complete USSR dominance. It purposefully urged American men to despise the expanding USSR and Communism as a whole. Plenty of American men feel neutral towards Communism since it may have had no direct impact on them. However, now that they can see the potential threat of the USSR, they may turn against Communism. Furthermore, if they do not turn against the USSR in order to defend women and children, they will lose respect and honor. The piece of propaganda also aimed to stimulate nationalism and unite the American people. Only as a whole can America defeat Communism.


Alex Ratliff

Comments

  1. UnknownOctober 4, 2017 at 7:27 PM

    The aim towards the audience plays a big part in this poster. To women and children it would have little impact but to the men it meant a lot. The poster adequately makes a strong point to encourage American men to work against the USSR. Although the poster is addressing men more individually it is more successful in unifying Americans against the USSR.

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  2. UnknownOctober 4, 2017 at 8:13 PM

    The audience of this was very important. It played on their fears as Americans by implying the invasion of Communism. It also played off of traditional gender roles and masculinity, by implying that American men had to protect women.

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  3. UnknownOctober 4, 2017 at 8:44 PM

    This propaganda poster was very effective because it drew upon the social roles of the time and it illustrated, and possibly exaggerated, the threat of communism. The audience felt as if they needed to take action to defeat this threat, which inspired men and women alike to denounce communism. Many propaganda posters such as this one influence the same audience in a similar manner, creating a paranoid and communist-hating society.

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  4. UnknownOctober 5, 2017 at 8:32 PM

    I agreed with you up until your last statement. If you believe that the ad is directly targeting American men's desire to protect women against communism, does that really lead to nationalism? I believe the reason behind any reaction by the target audience would be feelings more personal instead of immediately being ready to protect the whole country, which includes women these men don't care about.

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  5. Alysa ConwayOctober 9, 2017 at 9:03 AM

    I agree that the importance of the posters were aimed towards American men because their patriotism was threatened due to the rise of Communism. The American men must do their rightful duty as protectors to protect their wives, children and themselves. It shows the fear and questions the manhood and dignity of American men which especially in that time could hurt more than a bullet.

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