The last satellite, TASS No. 1059, 5 October 1944

A Russian propaganda poster produced under the TASS news agency in Moscow. This image depicts a caricature of Hitler balancing on a broken chair that is balanced precariously at the top of some stairs. He is gagged, his hat has flown off and looks as though he has completely lost control, and knows what is coming. The three missing legs of the chair represent Italy, Romania and Bulgaria, all of which had changed from being Axis powers to declaring war on Germany in late 1943 and early 1944. This poster was printed and displayed as the Soviet Red Army was preparing to invade Hungary, thereby destroying Hitler's "throne". The text underneath the image was written by TASS poet Samuil Iakovkevich Marshak, and translates to mean: 'At first Hitler had a "throne" / That rested on four legs. / First he lost one of his legs / And then another - crack! / Two legs left. And then just one / Quite unstable leg. / But soon that will snap as well. / It won't be long at all!'

The translation was provided by the Art Institute of Chicago, which held an exhibition of TASS posters from July 31 to October 23 2011. The exhibiton's catalogue, "Windows on the War" (edited by Peter Zork Zegers and Douglas Druik), includes a large amount of information about the TASS posters, the artists and writers as well as methods of printing and distributing.