Hitler's Face on Matches, c. 1940-45 This item, portraying a snake in the image of Hitler, is taken from the archives of the Ministry of Information. It is from a series of American propaganda materials. All the leading combatants in the Second World War used propaganda. With the establishment of the Political Warfare Executive in August 1941, British propaganda authorities began a campaign of 'black' broadcasts to Germany. These were filled with morale-sapping stories such as unpleasant details of the private lives of the Nazi hierarchy. They also included tales of soldiers' wives being seduced by foreign workers while their husbands were fighting at the front. Propaganda was part of psychological warfare. Its tools included the ordinary news media, newspapers, leaflets and graffiti.
