VIETNAM WAR PROTEST: A CHINESE PROPAGANDA POSTER

Lithographic poster depicting a soldier, worker and peasant armed with rifles and a submachine gun before a sea of red flags, the worker presenting a copy of the People's Daily of 6 August with headline "The PRC Government issues a statement that America's aggression towards Vietnam is an act of aggression towards China," with text repeated in red ink at bottom of poster with exclamation point added. Some creasing.

A rare poster, and one of the earliest posters announcing the start of the Vietnam War, to be issued in China. It was released after the Gulf of Tonkin Incident prompted US president Lyndon Johnson to launch air strikes on Communist North Vietnam and ask Congress for a mandate for continuous military intervention in the region. The result was a major escalation in the Vietnam War by both sides, with a rise in Chinese material and political support for the North Vietnamese. This poster was created to encourage the Chinese public to view the conflict as essential to China's own well being, encourage the people to assist the North Vietnamese in their struggle.
20 x 30in (53 x 76cm)