WW2 poster on concentration camp atrocities & war map declaring German surrender

$ 66.0

Publisher: Army Services Forces and Navy Educational Service Section Item Weight: 3-4 ounces Language: English Number of Pages: 1 Type: War information map and poster Item Height: 1 sheet of poster paper Publication Name: Newsmap for the Armed Forces Subject: World War 2 Publication Year: 1945 Author: US Army Information Branch Country: United States Map Scale: Varies: battle, campaign, region, continent, globe Personalized: No Item Length: 46.5 inches Format: Fold out poster and map Features: Folding Map, Illustrated, Poster City: Washington DC Country/Region of Manufacture: United States Region: Europe Series: Progress of the war Item Width: 34.5 inches

Description

This poster is the only one we are aware of that conveyed the horror of the concentration camps that were revealed by the Allied advance. There was as yet not a full understanding of the holocaust genocide, but these photos were a terrible shock for the soldiers and civilian population. They served to underscore the ideological nature of the war, and also to prepare the soldiers and their families for the unfinished business. That unfinished business was not the occupation of Europe but the unconcluded war against Japan. The war map declares victory in Europe but doesn't really celebrate it. The massive arrow implies the shift of focus, men, and resources toward the Japanese theater. All in all, this is one of the most dramatic poster and map combinations of the war. It is a one-of-a-kind item whose rarity is matched by its excellent condition.