Himmler, Goering, Hitler, Goebbels – Everything on G. (Moore D.) Soviet Posters (1917-1941)

This is a Soviet propaganda poster from 1941 by Dmitri Moor titled Himmler, Goering, Hitler, Goebbels - Everything on G. (or All on G).

What I see:

The poster is a stark, black and white woodcut or linocut. It features a grotesque, stacked arrangement of the heads of four prominent Nazi figures: Heinrich Himmler at the top, followed by Hermann Göring, Adolf Hitler in the middle, and Joseph Goebbels at the bottom. Each head is depicted with exaggerated, sinister features, conveying malice and evil.

• Himmler: Wears a Nazi cap with a deaths head (Totenkopf) insignia and glasses, looking stern and calculating. The text next to his name is Гиммаер (Gimmaer/Himmler).
• Göring: His head is shown below Himmlers, with a smug, cunning expression. The text is Геринг (Gering/Göring).
• Hitler: Occupies the central and most prominent position, with his mouth wide open in a roar, revealing a swastika symbol inside his mouth. His eyes are wide with a fanatical gaze. The text is Гитлер (Gitler/Hitler).
• Goebbels: His head is the smallest and appears most deformed or monstrous, with a shrill, almost hyena-like expression. He seems to be emerging from Hitlers chin. The text is Геббельс (Gebbels/Goebbels).

To the right of the stacked heads, there are four stylized representations of the letter Г (G), each accompanied by text that translates to one G., another G., third G., and fourth G.. These G shapes are abstract forms, and the first three bear a resemblance to the swastika, while the fourth is a slightly different angular shape. The poster culminates in the large text ВСЕ НА Г (VSE NA G), meaning Everything on G..

Subtexts:

The poster is a powerful anti-Nazi and anti-fascist piece of propaganda. Its subtexts are multidimensional:

• Demonization of Nazi Leadership: By grotesque and dehumanizing depictions, the poster aims to portray these leaders as monstrous, evil, and inherently dangerous. The stacked nature of their heads suggests a hierarchy of evil or a collective evil emanating from them.
• The G as a Symbol of Evil: The repeated use of the letter Г (G) on the right side, visually resembling swastikas, and culminating in Everything on G., is the central conceit. This G likely stands for Germans or Germany as the source of the Fascist threat. The repetition implies that all aspects of Nazi Germany (its leaders, its ideology, its actions) are rooted in this malevolent entity. The changing forms of G with swastika-like elements further reinforce this connection.
• Propaganda Tactic: The poster is designed to instill fear, hatred, and disgust towards the Nazi regime among the Soviet population. It simplifies a complex political and military situation into a clear narrative of good versus evil.
• Dehumanization of the Enemy: The distorted and exaggerated features are a classic propaganda technique to strip the enemy of their humanity, making it easier for the audience to accept their destruction or defeat morally.
• Warning and Call to Action: The poster serves as a stark warning about the existential threat posed by Nazi Germany and implicitly calls for vigilance and resistance. The overwhelming presence of their faces and the phrase Everything on G. suggests that this evil is all-encompassing and must be confronted.
• The Final G with Quote Marks: The final G on the far right has quotation marks around it, which might imply that this G is somehow flawed, fake, or that the statement about everything on G. is a recurring, perhaps deceptive, theme used by the Nazis themselves. It adds a layer of cynicism towards the Nazi narrative.