Anti-Nazi Propaganda Postcard - U.K.

Well, it was 1940s and place Lisbon. So what? :-)

I know that's irritating piece of information. But of late, I found that Lisbon was the place :-) Ok. You knew it. So for others, who didn't know. Lisbon was the place of heightened political activity during world war II from both side. Oh, ya! I meant political activity meaning war propaganda :-)

By this time, you would have already judged not just guessed that today's item is about war propaganda (postcard), of course focusing on India :-) Am sorry but I can't control my infectious smile.

On a serious note though, let's start. War had just started spreading all over the Europe and beyond. Great Britain and Germany both were on full swing with publishing propaganda items against each other (Allies versus Axis). As part of their strategy, United Kingdom issued series of anti-Nazi propaganda postcards distributed by their embassy in Lisbon, Portugal.


In one of my earlier post, I showed one of Germany's propaganda postcard targeting all allies nations. This one above is part of series of such postcards by UK where they showed how all allies nations (read commonwealth nations) came together and contributed in the war.

The above item is showcasing India's might to world. The postcard was published by R.K., initials printed on front side of postcard in lower left corner. Back side mentions the numbering 51-761.

As far as I know, all such postcards carry 51-xxxx pattern where xxxx seems to be numbering given to each such issue (focussing countries). Also, all of such postcards carry same heading "Em Liberdade - Forcas!" in Portuguesse meaning "In Freedom - Strength!".

The main text is also in Portuguesse which when translated in English reads:

"No country in the British commonwealth is playing this part more vigorously than India in the fight against Nazi aggression. In India, as much as in the Indian States, their sons work and fight to defeat the tyranny that, they know well, would mean the end of any free and peaceful progress."

[Thanks a lot to Pablo from Álbum de Estampillas for getting text translated for me.]

Also note that Portugal too had some colonies in India though relatively smaller ones than to Great Britain which ruled the Indian sub-continent and most of Asia/Australia barring China.

Then the postcard shows how India is contributing in fight against Nazi aggression. It shows how India contributed during world war I period (1914) with her factories and manifacturing units. And again, it is contributing as need arised. It depicts the number of factories that have grown, almost 4 times (in 1936), to help allies in the great war.

This was very interesting series of propaganda postcards issued by UK where they showed how each commonwealth countries such as Canada, New Zealand, Australia etc were contributing with their milk, cheese, manifacturing, ships etc.