Erst im Westen – Jetzt im Osten – Roosevelt and Churchill on Germany’s Future – Allied German-Language Propaganda Leaflet, W.G.35, 1945 – Provenance: Robert Hastings; The Churchill Collection of Steve Forbes.

Original German-language Allied propaganda leaflet, issued in the closing months of the Second World War and identified by the printed code W.G.35. The leaflet was directed at German readers as the Reich collapsed under simultaneous pressure from the Western Allies and the Red Army.

The front is printed in dramatic red and black, announcing the failure of Rundstedt’s western offensive and the rapid Soviet advance in the east:

“Erst im Westen: Rundstedts Verzweiflungsoffensive zerschlagen!”
“Jetzt im Osten: Ostpreussen abgeschnitten!”
“Die Rote Armee tief in Schlesien!”
“Zukovs Armeen in Brandenburg!”
“Evakuierung der Staats- und Parteibehörden aus Berlin im Gange!”

The message is intentionally stark: Germany is being defeated on both fronts, the eastern territories are collapsing, and even Nazi state and Party authorities are preparing to leave Berlin.

The reverse carries parallel statements by Franklin D. Roosevelt and Winston Churchill, beneath American and British flags. Both texts address Germany’s future, unconditional surrender, and the distinction between the Nazi leadership and the German people. Roosevelt’s statement rejects any negotiation with Nazi conspirators while insisting that the German people will not be enslaved. Churchill’s statement similarly stresses that unconditional surrender does not free the victors from moral duties towards humanity and that the Allies do not intend to exterminate nations.

This is a powerful late-war psychological warfare leaflet. It combines immediate battlefield news with political reassurance, seeking to persuade German readers that continued resistance was futile and that surrender would be less destructive than prolonging the war.

The leaflet is recorded by Agitka as W.G.35, with the same opening text and Roosevelt/Churchill statements. The record confirms the principal text, German language and WG-series identification.

This example possesses distinguished provenance. It was formerly in the collection of Robert Hastings, Churchill scholar and collector, before entering The Churchill Collection of Steve Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine. The provenance is especially relevant here because Churchill is one of the two central named figures on the leaflet.

Condition: Good. Repaired closed tear, creasing, rubbing and handling wear, with light edge wear and small losses. Complete and legible, with strong red-and-black printing.

Date: 1945
Code: W.G.35
Language: German
Format: Two-sided propaganda leaflet
Size: 21.3 x 26.8 cm
Subject: Churchill, Roosevelt, Germany 1945, Allied propaganda, Eastern Front, Western Front, psychological warfare
Provenance: Robert Hastings, Churchill scholar and collector; subsequently The Churchill Collection of Steve Forbes, publisher of Forbes magazine.

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