Final answer:
World War I and II propaganda posters sought to mobilize support for the war by recruiting men into the military, encouraging war bond purchases, and emphasizing patriotic duty. They used idealized and gendered messages to bolster recruitment and home front contributions, often portraying an idealistic view of the war rather than a realistic one.
Step-by-step explanation:
The purpose of the propaganda posters during World War I and World War II was to encourage support for the war effort in a variety of ways. These posters aimed to recruit men for the armed forces, encourage the public to finance the costs of war through purchasing war bonds, and reinforce the idea that contributing to the war effort was a patriotic and moral duty. The Committee on Public Information (CPI), for example, utilized these posters to harness Americans' emotions and rationalize the sacrifices they were being asked to make for the war effort. Posters often contained gendered messages, calling on men to protect the notion of Liberty and womankind, while others focused on the role of women as part of the 'second line of defense', urging them to fill jobs and support roles on the home front.
Moreover, the government also used other forms of media, such as 'newsreels', to encourage citizens to become better 'citizen soldiers' and newspapers to urge women to influence men to enlist. However, these posters generally presented an idealized image of war, not offering a realistic assessment but rather designed to galvanize support and maintain morale at home.