My Grandfather's Collection of Wartime Cartoons

[Haversack]

Over in the Golden Age I have started a thread on the collection of editorial cartoons that my grandfather cut out of Southern California newspapers chronicling events from about 1938 to 1946. Over there I have been posting cartoons largely concerned with events leading up to the war. I’m starting this thread here to post the cartoons that directly concern the war.

As I noted over in the Golden Era, it is my intention to not omit cartoons which use caricatures that would likely give offense to those of the here and now. If I were to do so, I would have to omit practically everything concerning the war in the Far/Middle/Near East, the Pacific, Africa and India.

The collection is mostly in chronological order. I hope that people will find this collection interesting and informative about how the war was portrayed and commented on by those there and then.

 

[Haversack]

Here are the first few that directly concern the war. They're from 1940-41 but not in any particular order.

 

[wallypop]

Love the images. Check out Superman comic #17!

 

[Haversack]

Here's the next load. The events 80 years ago stand out.

 

[Feraud]

Thanks. I'm really enjoying seeing these. I will have to head on over to Golden Age.

 

[Haversack]

All Right. This next couple lots are from 1939 to 1941 (pre-Barbarossa) and concern the division of Poland. Tomorrow's will be from the same time and will concern the uneasy alliance between Germany and Russia, (with Italy putting its oar in as well).

 

[Haversack]

 

[Haversack]

 

[Haversack]

The first one of these next ones raises the specter of Germany and Russia doing a Poland on Turkey. The rest are from after Barbarossa kicked off.

 

[Haversack]

These three all use baseball as theme. Probably more understood then than now.

 

[Haversack]

A large number of the cartoons specifically deal with the war in Russia. "Living Room" is a direct, (but incorrect), translation of "Lebensraum". This meant space to expand. Specifically the 'removal' of the peoples of Russia and its territories so the land could be colonized by Germans. And a couple of references to those famous Russians, General Winter and General Mud.

 

[Haversack]

Some more concerning the Russian Front. Including one about after the war featuring a paper-hanger:

 

[Haversack]

Here are four featuring Il Duce. Vainglorious and pompous, Mussolini was an easy mark for cartoonist to parody. Herblock, however, saw the underlying malice.

 

[Haversack]

Although Russia has dominated the cartoons of late, here's some commentary of the war in North Africa.

 

[Haversack]

The next two concern Sub-Saharan Africa. Although it was not one of the main theaters of conflict during the war, combat and covert activities did occur there. One the following is from before the war and concerns Nazi efforts to gain support from native inhabitants of former German colonies in Africa. The other is about the war in Ethiopia. As I mentioned earlier, I am not omitting cartoons which use caricatures which give offense today. These editorial cartoons depicted events using the conventions of their time and place. These conventions have changed. Provoking offense is not my intent.

 

[Haversack]

And some more Mussolini.

 

[Haversack]

This lot are all over the place regarding time but illustrate the increasing number of problems besetting Schikelgruber. Also note the continued depiction of Hitler as a paperhanger. A reference to his failure to gain admittance to the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna in 1907-08.

 

[Haversack]

As I noted over in The Golden Age, I've been have scanner issues. These are now hopefully corrected. These next three reference some of the strategic conferences that took place in order to organize an alliance to fight the Axis. One technique often used in these cartoons is to use a reference to a bit of popular culture as a hook for the message.

This one references two popular movies.

 

[Haversack]

Here are the next few. Again, no chronological order. The first is probably from 1941 when Germany and Turkey signed a friendship and trade treaty. An interesting side note from this treaty was a deal for Turkey to sell Germany a steady supply of chromium. This resulted in the US and GB buying up all of Turkey's chromium production in order to prevent this supply.

Another one from before the War.

I've not been able to determine a date for the next one. I suspect 1943 might be about right as Germany didn't really go on a wartime economic footing as the US and GB did until late in the war.

Another one about the German domestic front. This time featuring the Minister of Propaganda.

 

[Haversack]

Post-Pearl Harbor and this trio become increasingly common in the cartoons


And Mussolini continues to be an easy mark.