Relief

It’s not just the government that exhorted Americans to support the war effort, and it’s not only armies that could benefit from that support.

Many organizations – religious, cultural, professional, and more – engaged in their own messaging in order to raise money, gather donations, and raise awareness of problems caused by war. Some worked for the direct relief of the overall quality of life of soldiers. Others focused their efforts on the civilians in war zones.

The American public’s appetite for supporting those not directly involved in the war effort has always waxed and waned, and many of these posters were produced by civilian nonprofit organizations with a vested interest in particular groups that needed aid. Posters were only one part of the argument waged on the topic; many opposed to helping some groups made their case in other ways.

Today, as well, there are information campaigns seeking to educate civilians about the cost of war, and looking for support, and many of them use the same language and imagery.

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