1948 Italian Persuasive Poster, 1948 Elections, Cold War

A stunning piece of persuasive cartography, this work was produced in the run-up to the Italian national elections of 1948, a hotly contested battle for influence in the early Cold War. It implored the viewer to vote, lest Italy turn into a Communist hellscape.

A Closer Look

The stark image consists of a skeleton in a Soviet Red Army uniform standing before a map of Europe. The Soviet Union and Soviet-occupied or aligned states are shaded red, while areas of expanding Soviet influence, including Italy, France, and Germany (not yet formally divided), are splattered with red blood. In case the meaning was not clear already, large text below states: 'Vote, or This Will Be Your Master.' The message appears to have worked; turnout in the 1948 Italian election was over 92 percent.

Italy on the Front Lines

The Italian general elections of April 18, 1948, were a crucial event in the country's post-World War II history and an important battle in the emerging Cold War. The elections saw a powerful Soviet-influenced left-wing coalition (the Popular Democratic Front) pitted against the center-right Christian Democrats and a grouping of other center and rightist parties. Discontent with the slow pace of postwar recovery and resentment against the late fascist regime was running high, making Italy a promising territory for leftist movements. Horrified that Communism might spread beyond the area of Soviet occupation, the United States intervened heavily to support the Christian Democrats and similar parties. Among other measures, the Central Intelligence Agency directly financed preferred parties and launched an anti-Communist propaganda campaign, which may have included the present work.

Playing on fears of anti-religious campaigns was particularly effective in the deeply Catholic country. This propaganda campaign, as well as the Soviets' own actions (namely the anti-democratic coup in Czechoslovakia in February), convinced a plurality of the Italian electorate to reject socialism and Communism, giving the Christian Democrats nearly 50 percent of the vote. The election result set the stage for Italy's postwar history, including its 'economic miracle,' a close relationship with the U.S., including membership in NATO, and economic cooperation with the rest of Western Europe, resulting in the European Union.

Publication History and Census

This work was drawn by an unknown artist in the weeks leading up to the 1948 Italian election. The publisher is also unknown, making it difficult to establish a census, though it appears to be quite rare. We have only been able to locate one other example, at the Library of Congress.