Catalogue Number
NMLH.1994.168.177
Object Name
Poster
Title
Hitler's Backers are again in power in West Germany
Place
Germany
People
Harold Macmillan Nikita Khrushchev Adolf Hitler
Events
Cold War
Date
1961
Description
Yellow poster with large black letters reading 'Hitler's backers are again in power in West Germany' This poster was screen printed by the Communist Party of Great Britain in response to the Berlin Crisis of 1961, wherein Nikita Khrushchev, leader of the Soviet Union, issued an ultimatum demanding the withdrawal of armed forces from Berlin- inlcuding West Berlin. Berlin was a contested city during this period as Western Germany was occupied by the British, French, and Americans after Germany's defeat in WWII whilst East Germany was occupied by Soviets. When this ultimatum was issued there was rumours of war spreading, which many people campaigned against. This poster is one such campaign by the Communist Party, which urged Harold Macmillan's government to advocate for negotiating a peace treaty with the Soviet Union instead. The result of the
conflict was the construction of the Berlin Wall, which separated East and West Berlin and made it difficult for people to flee one area for another. As the Western Bloc (specifically the UK, France, the US) were in charge of West Germany in 1961, this poster implies that the Western Bloc will be repeating what Hitler did if they go to war with Russia over Berlin. Condition: good
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