Title / object name Poster, ’Berlin’
Medium Summary Offset lithograph on paper
Materials paper, printing ink
| Dimensions |
| Overall | 492 (Height) x 328 (Length) mm |
Classification political posters
Technique offset lithography
Registration Number GH015721
Credit LineGift of Mr C H Andrews, 1967
The message of this World War II poster is that Hitler's victories have come to an end and he now faces a hostile Russian front. His boots are muddy indicating that his armies are getting bogged down in wet autumn and winter weather. Words would have been unnecessary for anyone who was following media reports about the war in Europe in late 1941.
The Eastern Front
On 6 September 1941, Hitler resumed his advance to Moscow in an attempt to take it before the Russian winter set in. On 15 September, the long siege of Leningrad began. By 15 October, rains had bogged down German tanks and infantry, halting progress. The mud froze as temperatures dropped, but by 15 November the German advance had resumed. On 30 November, German forces were only 27 kilometres from Moscow when they encountered strong Russian resistance. On 6 December, at temperatures of -34 Celsius (-29 Fahrenheit) and below, a major Russian counter-offensive began, saving the city and pushing back the Germans. The tide of the war began to turn after this event.