Today, European nations still use stamps to commemorate aspects of a nation's culture, history and achievements. During the Second World War, however, stamps were considered far more important in conveying political and ideological messages about their country's change in fortunes – whether it was as triumphant occupier, willing or unwilling ally, or oppressed victim. Some issues and overprints contained obvious messages, but many others were skillfully designed and subtle in their intentions. Stamps and their accompanying postmarks offer an absorbing and surprisingly detailed insight into the hopes and fears of nations at this tumultuous time. This remarkable collection examines and interprets the stamps of twenty-two countries across western and eastern Europe. The glorification of the Führer and Germany on the stamps of countries he most oppressed was inevitable, but many issues are ambiguous and indicative of the rival ethnic and political forces striving to attain influence and power. Desperate to unite the people, Soviet Russia resorted to images of the nation's heroic achievements under the Tsars; the mutually hostile puppet states Hitler and Mussolini allowed to emerge out of conquered Yugoslavia lost no time in issuing stamps proclaiming their cultural diversity; and Vichy France sought to justify its existence with issues linking past glories under Louis XIV and Napoleon with an equally glorious future alongside Hitler. These and many more stories reveal the aspirations, assumptions and anxieties of so many nations as their destinies hung in the balance.

European Stamp Issues and the First World War takes a new approach to the dramatic storyof the continental empires and nations who became embroiled in the Great War that eventuallytransformed Europe and created a new patchwork of countries seething with jealousiesand discontent.It does so using the unique perspectives provided by the philatelic images through whicheach nation projected its vision of itself through the ruling dynasties, military triumphs, breathtakingscenery, cultural achievements and technical advances it chose to highlight. Duringthe uncertain and traumatic decades surrounding the Great War, nothing identified theaspirations and anxieties of a country more than its succession of stamp designs - some verydramatic, others subtle.Eye-catching new issues were powerful instruments of propaganda as well as revenue.In victory, stamps celebrated the acquisition of new territory, and in adversity they urged unityand promoted charities. From 1918 numerous stamps tracked the savage Red and WhiteRussian Civil War. And, as the great empires collapsed, countries such as Czechoslovakia,Poland and the Baltic States emerged eager to promote their history, culture and independence.While many French and Belgian stamps showed these war-torn nations nursing theirrecovery, issues in Germany highlighted how its post-war chaos hardened into a new nationalidentity. And across the Balkans lengthy sets reflected the deep divisions within and betweenthe Slav nations that preceded and long outlasted the First World War.This unparalleled book provides a fascinating portrait of the turbulent decades of theearly twentieth century, revealed through miniature works of art that are in themselvesimportant historical sources.

"Today, European nations still use stamps to commemorate aspects of a nation's culture, history and achievements. During the Second World War, however, stamps were considered far more important in conveying political and ideological messages about their country's change in fortunes- whether it was as triumphant occupier, willing or unwilling ally, or oppressed victim. Some issues and overprints contained obvious messages, but many others were skilfully designed and subtle in their intentions. Stamps and their accompanying postmarks offer an absorbing and surprisingly detailed insight into the hopes and fears of nations at this tumultuous time. This remarkable collection examines and interprets the stamps of twenty-two countries across western and eastern Europe."--

Excerpt from War Stamps of the Allies, 1914 1920: An Historical Record No event of modern history has been so far-reaching in its consequences as the Great War of the Nations, which, bursting like a thunderbolt from out a tranquil sky, over Europe on that fateful August day of 1914, spread in the ensuing four and a half years over the whole of the civilised world. In those parl'ous times nothing was so insignificant as to escape its all-embracing influence no phase or feature of daily life but experienced its dire effect. By far the greater pro-portion of postage stamps issued within its duration owed their inception directly or in directly to causes arising out of the war itself, and in them may be traced the whole grim record of. Those eventful years. Consequently the postage stamps of this epoch are possessed of a peculiar and abiding interest, all their own, by reason of their historic and romantic associations, as dumb witnesses to. The progress of the War of Wars, and sign-posts along the path to Victory and Universal Peace. About the Publisher Forgotten Books publishes hundreds of thousands of rare and classic books. Find more at www.forgottenbooks.com This book is a reproduction of an important historical work. Forgotten Books uses state-of-the-art technology to digitally reconstruct the work, preserving the original format whilst repairing imperfections present in the aged copy. In rare cases, an imperfection in the original, such as a blemish or missing page, may be replicated in our edition. We do, however, repair the vast majority of imperfections successfully; any imperfections that remain are intentionally left to preserve the state of such historical works.

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SynopsisThe Great War Centenary commemorative postage stampsStamps, as time capsules, reflect the beliefs of the country at the time they are issued. Postal Authorities, many functioning as non-government organisations these days, take great care to design and send messages that are appropriate within a public awareness model and provide context to explain why the messages are relevant and serve a purpose for today.The Great War of 1914-1918 had a profound effect upon the history and future of the world and particularly in Europe. 100 years on the postal authorities, who use anniversaries as their prompts for remembrance, illustrate how history now sees the events that happened. There are shared experiences that have shaped events since in different directions. The Centenary of the Great War is a time for reflection of where we are now. Many countries suffered huge losses. Killed and wounded; so much that it is a period etched into the social psyche of the world. This analysis establishes that 69 country's / postal authorities made the decision to commemorate the Great War with the issue of almost 1200 postage stamps. The nature of the content and design from most countries reflects their style and culture, so much so that the viewer can work out from whence the stamp has come. The politics of the country can be assessed and also the changes in policy over 100 years. Who would have thought that Germany would issue just a single image over the five years of the Centenary imploring 'No more war' or the United States modestly suggesting their entry into the War had helped 'turn the tide.'Assembled into the single document is a kaleidoscope of sensibility as well as many images of the carnage that occurred. The imagination is stimulated but at the end of the day it is a sad story - so much wasted