Advanced Search

Search results

(1 - 6 of 6)

Title: JM-165: The great temperance worker
Summary: This cartoon shows personified World War I separating countries from their chains to alcohol. The man with the decree on separation is a representation of Russia, who legalized prohibition from 1914 until 1925. The man to his right, holding a separation for absinthe, is a personified France, which banned the manufacture and sale of absinthe in 1914. The man chained to whiskey seeking freedom is representative of Great Britain, who never ratified any serious form of a national alcohol ban. There are many theories as to why these countries (including the United States from 1920-1933) banned the sale or manufacture of alcohol in some way. The cartoon suggests these bans were caused by what many referred to as the "efficiency campaign," which was depicted as the axe used to separate alcohol from these countries. The efficiency campaign suggested these countries were more productive when its citizens (especially laborers) were sober. After banning the sale of alcohol in Russia, the government proudly announced Russia's increased labor output and better economic standing. The heightened need for resources, and diminished labor force from World War I is thought to have inspired the need for higher economic efficiency in European nations. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-178: Pan-Germany is swiftly becoming panicy Germany
Summary: This cartoon depicts a man who has been affected by news of combat in World War I. In the left panel, “Pan-Germany” is confident about his ability to win the war. Pan-Germany is a concept that stems from the ideology of Pan-Germanism. It is a school of thought, which believes all ethnic Germans and German-speaking people should be united under one state, Pan-Germany. While Pan-Germany was never a real state, Germanic peoples still shared a similar language and culture. In the right panel, Germany quickly becomes alarmed as news of Ally victory comes to his desk. Although Pan-Germany was confident of his ability to win World War I, he did not anticipate the United States becoming a serious threat to the war effort. The United States entered World War I on April 6, 1917. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-054: The teacher of militarism
Summary: Editorial cartoon depicting an old man telling his grandsons about the war and romanticizing his involvement in those "great days". The grandsons both have toy weapons, and two women behind the three scold the old man.

Title: JM-167: Two crimes
Summary: This cartoon depicts the Lusitania, an American ocean liner destroyed by German naval forces in World War I on May 7, 1915. The ship was carrying American passengers and ammunition intended for the British armed forces. The top panel of the cartoon features the periscope of the German submarine spying on the Lusitania. Eventually the German submarine fired a torpedo, which killed 1,198 passengers aboard the ship. The bottom panel of the cartoon shows the 173 tons of ammunition carried on board the Lusitania and the innocent, most likely unaware passengers standing above it. The sinking of the Lusitania caused international outrage, but blame for the attack was passed back and forth between various parties. Many, particularly those in Great Britain, blamed the Germans who committed this attack. Others blamed the United States and the passengers, who ignored Germany’s repeated warning that any ship attempting to enter Great Britain would be subject to attack. Many, including journalists for the Chicago Tribune, claimed Great Britain was responsible for this tragedy. Great Britain had placed immense pressure on the United States to deliver arms, and the British government assured the Lusitania it would be protected from German attack. The Chicago Tribune featured an entire article placing responsibility for the sinking of the Lusitania on Great Britain. After detailing Great Britain’s interest in the Lusitania, the author of the article wrote, “England and England alone is to be held responsible for the loss of life because England lured Americans to death, hoping that the presence of Americans would protect the ship against German attack.” (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-166: Two unpopular Europeans
Summary: This cartoon shows two European men in World War I. The first man (in the top panel) is slumping his shoulders and tries to avoid attention. He is refusing to enlist the the military, unlike the other men in his country. The caption for the top panel reads, “The man who won’t enlist for his country during the war”. The second man (in the bottom panel) is proudly walking past a group of women, including women who were widowed in World War I. The bottom panel is captioned, “The man who won’t marry for his country after the war”. Instead of getting married to help begin rebuilding society, this man proudly presents himself as a bachelor. These two men are “unpopular”, because they do not conform with the sense of duty and sacrifice that was developed in Europe during and after World War I. Sacrificing oneself for one’s country was seen as an honorable and moral action during this time period. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)

Title: JM-177: Winning the war
Summary: The cartoon depicts the personified Germany crawling his way across Europe during WWI, representing Germany’s military advances during the war. The top left panel is captioned, “words won’t win the war”. This meant words could not be used to cause the German surrender. The top right panel is captioned, “wishes won’t win the war”. The panel shows Americans watching Germany from across the Atlantic, wishing the German people would overthrow Kaiser Wilhelm II. The middle-left panel shows those same Americans shouting in outrage at the Germans over American deaths from the war. The panel is captioned, “wrath won’t win the war”. The middle-right panel shows Americans displaying the vast wealth available for a war effort. The panel is captioned, “wealth won’t the war”. The bottom panel shows the Germans finally being stopped after being hit with the butt of a gun. The panel is captioned, “But wallops will win the war!”. This cartoon suggests aggressive force was the only way for the United States to defeat Germany in WWI. This cartoon was created in 1917, and the US official participation in WWI was from 1916-1917. (Summary created by Mary Delano, MU History Intern, Spring 2018)