The poster, entitled "Balance 1949: Reconstruction is Coming to an End" presents an Anti-Communist, Pro-Government overview of Italy's progress in reconstruction efforts post-World War II, focusing on the year 1949.
The poster begins with an overview of Italy's reconstruction progress post-World War II, asserting that 1949 marked a year of significant advancement. It acknowledges ongoing economic and social challenges but remains optimistic about the completion of reconstruction by 1950, predicting improved living conditions compared to the pre-war era. The imagery and text highlights the improvement in the cost of living in Italy during 1949, focusing on the significant drop in the prices of basic food items such as bread and pasta. The comparison between January and December prices, showing a decrease after rationing was removed, illustrates the positive impact of economic recovery on the affordability of essential goods.
The poster then transitions to a critique of Communist and Fascist movements. It criticizes the Italian Social Movement (M.S.I.), a neo-fascist party, suggesting their opportunistic shift towards left-wing politics to gain power. It implies that the party's actions betray both democratic and fascist principles, using an illustration from their publication to underscore this point.
At the bottom, the text offers a highly critical and propagandistic view of communism and communist leaders, using a mix of satirical cartoons and sensationalist language to convey its message.
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Left Section: The text accuses the communists in Modena of increasing the death toll among workers through their violent policies. It sarcastically mentions Fidia Gambetti, implying that his shift from fascist to communist ideology is hypocritical and insincere.
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Middle Section: This part mocks Palmiro Togliatti, an Italian communist leader, highlighting a contradiction between his claims of freedom under communism and his acknowledgment of oppression in Italy. It sarcastically suggests that his statements should be viewed negatively.
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Right Section: The section describes an incident involving East German Prime Minister Otto Grotewohl and Walter Ulbricht, the leader of the German Communist Party. It insinuates that Grotewohl was forcibly taken to Russia under the pretext of medical treatment after a disagreement with Ulbricht, drawing a parallel with the Bulgarian communist leader Georgi Dimitrov.