File:Liberators-Kultur-Terror-Anti-Americanism-1944-Nazi-Propaganda-Poster.jpg

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Summary[edit]

A 1944 Nazi propaganda poster titled "LIBERATORS", which perfectly epitomizes many perennially-recurring themes of anti-Americanism. Published in 1944 by the Dutch SS-Storm magazine that then belonged to a radical SS wing of the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands.

The original colour version titled "Kultur-Terror", was made by the Norwegian Harald Damsleth [1] for Nasjonal Samling in 1943. The original size is 49x61 cm; 10,000 copies were printed. [2], [3]

Text contained in image: "Miss America", "Miss Victory", "Ku Klux Klan", "JITTERBUG - Triumph of Civilization", "World's Most Beautiful Leg". Symbols contained in image: reverse side of 48-star United States flag, WW2-era Army Air Corps roundel, dollar sign, Star of David. Dutch caption at bottom (proferred by European gullible "all-ears" dupe) reads: "De USA zullen de Europeesche Kultuur van den ondergang redden", meaning "The USA wants to save European culture from decline".

Some motifs contained in this poster:

• The decadence of beauty pageants (scantily-clad "Miss America" and "Miss Victory", "The World's Most Beautiful Leg") – or more generally, the putative sexual laxness of American women. The "Miss America" beauty pageant in Atlantic City had expanded during the war and was used to sell war bonds.^[1]
• Gangsterism and gun violence (the arm of an escaped convict holding a submachine gun). Gangsterism had become a theme of anti-Americanism in the 1930s.^[2]
• Anti-black violence (a lynching noose, a Ku Klux Klan hood). Lynching of blacks had attracted European denunciations by the 1890s.^[3][4]
• General violence of American society, in addition to the above (boxing-glove which grasps the money-bag). The theme of a violent American frontier was well known in the 19th century.^[5]
• Americans as Indian savages. As well as mockery of American genocide over Natives as well as land-theft, since it is a chieftain symbol here used as fashion trinket. ("Miss America" wears plains-Indian head-dress).
• The capitalism, pure materialism and commercialism of America, to the detriment of any spirit or soul (moneybag with "$" symbol). The materialism of America contrasted with the spiritual depth of European high culture is a common trope, especially in Scandinavia.^[6]
• Anti-semitism appears in most Nazi images of America. A Jewish banker is seen behind the money.
• The presence of blacks in America equals its "mongrelization", adding undesirably "primitive" elements to American popular culture, and constituting a potential danger to the white race (strongly muscular arms of a black male, a stereotypically-caricatured black couple dancing the "Jitterbug – Triumph of Civilization" in birdcage, which is portrayed as a degraded animalistic ritual). The degradation of culture, especially through miscegenation, resonated with European anxieties, especially in Germany.^[7]
• Decadence of American popular culture, and its pernicious influence on the rest of the world (dancing of jitterbug, hand holds phonograph record, figure of a European gullible "all-ears" dupe in lower foreground). The growing popularity of American music and dancing among young people had ignited a "moral panic" among conservative Europeans.^[8]
• Indiscriminate U.S. military violence (bloodied bomb for foot, metal legs, military aircraft wings), threatening the European cultural landmarks at lower right. The terror-bombing of cities was started at the very outset of war by the Nazis against Poland.
  • Hence the suggested falsity of American claims to be "Liberators" (the Liberator was also the name of a U.S. bomber plane).
• Nazis denounced American jingoism and war fervor (a business-suited arm literally "beating the drum" of militarism, "Miss Victory" and her drum-majorette cap and boots).^[9]
• The malevolent influence of American Freemasons (Masonic apron descending from drum) was a theme among conservative Catholics, as in Spain.^[10]
• Demonization of national symbols of the United States ("Miss Victory" waves the reverse side of 48-star U.S. flag, and the WW2-era Army Air Corps roundel – of small red disk within white star on large blue disk – is shown on one of the wings).