DESIGNER UNKNOWN CHONG CONG SAN. 1967. 28 3/8x20 1/2 inches. Condition A-: minor tears in margins. During the war in Vietnam, posters were used on both sides of the conflict for various purposes. Within Vietnam, most of the propaganda took on a vastly less antagonistic and bloody approach than Western propaganda. The Vietnamese posters tended to focus on inspirational themes designed to raise national spirit. Here, the Vietnamese populace is exhorted to "Follow the leadership in the fight against the Communists to protect the freedom of the Vietnamese People." The image depicts Trung Trac and Trung Nhi. These two sisters led a successful uprising against the brutal and oppressive Chinese occupiers in the year 40 A.D. As a result of their success on the battlefield they were anointed Queens of Vietnam. When the Chinese forced their way back into the country with a larger army, in the year 43 A.D., the two sisters committed suicide. Through modern day, the two sisters serve as a symbol of defiance and courage in the face of domination and injustice. In the background a female farmer, nurse and soldier are shown on a battlefield, indicating the role that women continued to play in the war effort.
