[British Indian Government Propaganda Map] Weekly News Report (WNR) No. 179 - War in the West 1939 / 1943

(Director of War Publicity, National War Front)

Published by (Director of War Publicity, National War Front), (Victory House, Madras), 1943

About this Item

Rare British Indian b/w propaganda map 65x42cm, printed on economy paper. Fair only, tanned, folded with several archival tape repairs to the verso, closed tears, and several small areas of loss partially impacting on content in places. "WNR" identifies this as part of a series of maps produced to accompany the World News Report issued by the Director of War Publicity, National War Front. The same map covering the Americas to Russia and India is shown four times to illustrate developments for 1939-40, 1940-41, 1941-42, and 1942-43 with respect to Axis advances and retreats, Axis influence, Axis held territory, Vichy French territory, Allied advances, possible Anglo-US invasion routes, Lend-Lease supply routes, and supply routes to Russia via Scandinavia and the Persian Gulf Corridor. Captions show major naval events including the scuttling of the Graf Spee, serious Allied merchant shipping losses in the Caribbean, and U-Boat sinkings. Each has a caption detailing key events. This poster supported the British Indian Government's comprehensive propaganda operation to keep the population onside. With India providing over 2 million troops and several million others to the war effort at home, it tied the war to the fate of India, praised Indian contributions, and countered Axis propaganda. It began in 1940 with Provincial and District War Committees coordinated from Calcutta, and continued with the National War Front (NWF) from 1942, under the Director of War Publicity at Victory House in Madras. The NWF operated through Directors at Presidency level supported by District and Divisional organisers, and an array of lecturers, propagandists, village leaders, and inspectors reaching deep into the grassroots. In support, Victory House published the weekly "Madras War Review", and served as a Central Information Bureau with a Showroom displaying its models for railway cars, charts, maps, posters, and other material, which were replicated in local NWF "Victory Houses" across India. Very few of these materials survive. This one is not recorded on Worldcat or Library Hub. (References: Tamil Digital Library; P. Priya, "Popular Distress and the Second World War: Malabar, 1939-45, Proceedings of the Indian History Congress, Vol. 74 (2013), pp. 602-610).

Seller Inventory # 5879

Bibliographic Details

• Title: [British Indian Government Propaganda Map] Weekly News Report (WNR) No. 179 - War in the West 1939 / 1943
• Publisher: (Director of War Publicity, National War Front), (Victory House, Madras)
• Publication Date: 1943
• Language: English
• Binding: No Binding
• Condition: Fair