Die Karikatur im Weltkriege

This volume surveys the flood of cartoons that sprang up across Europe and beyond during the First World War, using more than a hundred illustrations to trace how satire mirrored national moods, anxieties, and rivalries. By juxtaposing Dutch, French, German, British, American, and even Japanese drawings, the author shows how the simple line could become a potent barometer of public opinion in both belligerent and neutral states. The work argues that caricature, more than any other visual medium, captured the shifting emotions of societies caught in a total war.

The study also places these images in a longer tradition, recalling the prolific satire of the 1870‑71 Franco‑Prussian conflict and noting how the scale and intensity of the Great War forced artists to confront new, mechanized realities. It discusses the difficulties of preserving such ephemera—many sheets and pamphlets are now scarce—while highlighting the role of libraries and private collectors in assembling a representative archive. As a cultural‑historical document, the collection offers listeners a vivid glimpse into how humor, irony, and visual wit were wielded as both coping mechanisms and subtle propaganda.