WW1 Propaganda Cartoons

The Under-Study: The Triple Alliance Revised and Corrected.

This Italian cartoon from the Numero in Turin shows Germany and Austria seated next to a smaller figure. The name on the middle chair used to be Italy but it has been crossed out and replaced with Turkey. It refers to the fact that originally Italy was a member of the Triple Alliance between Austria, Germany and Italy and should, pursuant to its treaty obligations, have fought on the side of the Germans. Instead, Italy (the weaker of the three parties) remained neutral and eventually entered the war on the side of the Allies. The cartoon comments on the fact that the Germans and Austrians have found a replacement in Turkey, also a weaker power that they can manipulate.

A New Form of Paving for French and Belgian Cities.

In this Italian cartoon, German soldiers are shown fixing up a devastated Belgian city and re-paving the shell-pocked roads with skulls of their Belgian victims. Alleged German atrocities against the civilian population of Belgium were fertile ground for Allied war propaganda. On the other hand, German war propaganda blamed Belgium and Britain for the war.

Himself to God: "If I were not afraid of Thee I would declare war upon Thee also!" Guglielmo's Dream. The map bears the inscription, "The Great German Empire." "Isn't there somebody else to declare war upon?" "There's the Republic of San Marino, your Majesty." (San Marino is one of the smallest countries in the world and has no army.) Guglielmo (bearing the European war): "Heavens! It's beginning to get heavy."

A series of Italian wartime postcards depicting “Guglielmo” (the Italian name for Kaiser Wilhelm) as a war mad buffoon.

• German Propaganda Cartoons
• Italian Propaganda Cartoons
• French Propaganda Cartoons
• British Propaganda Cartoons