Political Cartoons

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POLITICAL CARTOONS

What is a political cartoon?

It is an art form that:

• serves as a source of opinion on society.
  
• expresses viewpoints on political, economic or social issues.
  
• makes use of 
•                1- humor (satire), 
•                2- symbolism,   
•                3- exaggeration(caricatures),
•                4- labelling,
•                5- analogies

Symbolism

Symbolism

Symbolism

Symbolism

Symbolism

Four questions you must answer when you analyze a cartoon:

1. What do you see? (elements & labels)
   
2. What does it represent / stand for?
3. What is the artist's message?
4. What is the artist's POV (point of view)?

Look at the helmet. 

Which country is it from?

Look at the helmet. 

Which country is it from?

Which part of the helmet makes it a typically German helmet?

So, who is the man with the helmet?

Without the helmet, would you have
recognized the man?

1. yes
2. no

What does the globe represent?

The man takes a bite from 

the globe. What does that mean?

What is the artist's message?
(short sentence)

What is the artist's POV?

1. pro German
2. anti German

"They salute with both hands now." - The London Evening Standard's David Low reacts to Hitler's purge of the Brownshirts in the Night of the Long Knives, July 3, 1934

Four questions you must answer when you analyze a cartoon:

1. What do you see? (elements & labels)
   
2. What does it represent / stand for?
3. What is the artist's message?
4. What is the artist's POV (point of view)?

A: What do you see?
Who are the men with their hands up?

1. S.A. members
2. S.S. members
3. German soldiers
4. communists

A: What do you see?
Who are the men with the guns (top right)?

1. S.A. members
2. S.S. members
3. German soldiers
4. communists

A: What do you see?
Who are the 2 men behind Hitler?

1. German army generals
2. Hitler's loyal nazi leaders
3. journalists
4. S.A. leaders

A: What do you see?

How would you describe Hitler's posture?

1. determined
2. agressive
3. cowardly
4. heroically

A: What do you see?
On the ground behind Hitler you see
Joseph Goebbels (propaganda minister)
How would you describe his posture?

1. determined
2. agressive
3. cowardly
4. heroically

A: What do you see?
Also behind Hitler you see Hermann Göring,
dressed as a god of war.
What is the black on his sword and spear point?

1. paint
2. shadow
3. blood
4. marmalade

Hitler holds a smoking gun.
What does that mean?

1. he is about to use his gun
2. he just cleaned his weapon
3. he just fired his weapon
4. his gun doesn't work

A: What do you see?
who are the men lying dead on the ground?

1. S.A. leaders
2. S.S. leaders
3. German officers
4. communists

From the image of the smoking gun,
and the dead people, what can you infere (conclude)?

On the ground there is a paper with the text:
"Hitler's unkept promises"

This means: Hitler betrayed:

1. the German people
2. the German army
3. the S.A.
4. the Treaty of Versailles

Hitler's arm band says:
"the double cross"
This also indicates Hitler's:

1. anger towards opponents
2. belief in national-socialism
3. distrust of the S.A.
4. betrayal of the S.A.

Explain the label:
"They salute with both hands now"

What is the artist's message?

What is the artist's POV?

1. pro Hitler / Nazis
2. anti Hitler / Nazis

The message of the cartoon "They Salute with Both Hands Now" is that in the Night of the Long Knives, Hitler turned on his previously loyal supporters, the SA, in order to consolidate his position by eliminating the threat of Ernst Rohm and the SA and winning over the Army. This betrayal is seen by the image of SA members looking fearful in surrender, and SA leaders dead on the floor, killed by Hitler, who holds a smoking gun. Surrounding this scene, members of the Army and SS stand with their weapons pointing towards the SA members. Hitler used the SS and the Army to kill the SA on the Night of the Long knives, and doing so helped him to win them over as it showed his preference for them over the thug-like Stormtroopers. The caption ‘They salute with both hands now’ is a joke about the Nazi salute. The SA used to be fiercely loyal to Hitler, and so would salute him with the Nazi salute (with one hand). However, now they have both their hands up to Hitler in surrender, showing their powerlessness. On the floor, lies ‘Hitler’s unkept promises’, clearly discarded. This represents how Hitler betrayed the SA, as they had been led to believe that they would gain power alongside Hitler. The three men that stand in front of the SA are Hitler (standing aggressively with an armband that reads: ’the double cross’- a pun about the swastika and Hitler’s betrayal), Goering (who is dressed as a violent god of war, showing how the Nazis have abandoned democracy and now rule by terror), and Goebbels (shown as Hitler’s poodle, since in Britain, where this cartoon was published, he was seen to be cowardly and extremely loyal to Hitler). It was all three of these men that were responsible for this night, because Hitler asked Goering and Goebbels to compile a list of ‘disloyal SA members’,; this list formed the basis of those killed on the Night of the Long Knives.

SA members looking fearful in surrender

SA leaders, dead on the floor, killed by Hitler, who holds a smoking gun.

a smoking gun, indicating that Hitler just shot the men lying dead on the floor. A smoking gun is also a clear piece of evidence.

members of the Army and SS stand with their weapons pointing towards the SA members

 The caption ‘They salute with both hands now’ is a joke about the Nazi salute. The SA used to be fiercely loyal to Hitler, and so would salute him with the Nazi salute (with one hand). However, now they have both their hands up to Hitler in surrender, showing their powerlessness. 

On the floor, lies ‘Hitler’s unkept promises’, clearly discarded. This represents how Hitler betrayed the SA, as they had been led to believe that they would gain power alongside Hitler. 

Hitler (standing aggressively with an armband that reads: ’the double cross’- a pun about the swastika and Hitler’s betrayal)

Goering (who is dressed as a violent god of war, showing how the Nazis have abandoned democracy and now rule by terror)

Goebbels (shown as Hitler’s poodle, since in Britain, where this cartoon was published,he was seen to be cowardly and extremely loyal to Hitler). It was all three of these men that were responsible for this night, because Hitler asked Goering and Goebbels to compile a list of ‘disloyal SA members’,; this list formed the basis of those killed on the Night of the Long Knives.

Four questions you must answer when you analyze a cartoon:

1. What do you see? (elements & labels)
   
2. What does it represent / stand for?
3. What is the artist's message?
4. What is the artist's POV (point of view)?

Hitler goose-steps across the ‘spineless leaders of democracy’ towards his goal:

’Boss of the Universe’.

The first 3 steps are labelled

‘Rearmament’, ‘Rhineland’ and ‘Danzig’.

This cartoon by the British cartoonist David Low appeared in the Evening Standard newspaper in July 1936.

What is the artist's message?

what do you see? (without interpretation)

What do the elements mean? 

What is the artist's message?

What is the artist's POV?

1. pro Hitler / Nazis
2. anti Hitler / Nazis

Denotation (what you see) : Hitler strides across the

‘spineless leaders of democracy’

thumbing his nose.

Connotation (how it affects its audience) : Thumbing one’s nose is a sign of contempt.

Meaning: Hitler was increasing his

power with utter contempt

for the other countries

1

Denotation (what you see) : Hitler is goose-stepping.

Connotation (how it affects its audience) : German militarism – the

goose-step was the formal march of the German army.

Meaning: Hitler is increasing his power

by force and threat of military force.

2

Denotation (what you see) : The first three steps are taken

towards the ultimate goal: ‘Boss ofthe Universe’.

Connotation (how it affects its audience) : ‘Taking steps’ implies conscious decisions. 

Meaning: Low does not know what Hitler will do next, but he is sure that Hitler intends to continue until he rules the world.

5

Denotation (what you see) : Hitler is goose-stepping over ‘the

spineless leaders of democracy’.

Connotation (how it affects its audience) : The leaders of the western

democracies are just giving way to Hitler. Spineless =  weak, cowardly.

Meaning: Anger at appeasement and

the need to stand up to Hitler

– who intended to keep on

expanding – are a regular

message of Low’s cartoons.

3

Finally, always remember to look at;

origin: who drew it?

date: when was it published?

origin: British cartoonist David Low (who hated Hitler and appeasement)

Significance: Low is reflecting the anti-appeasement standpoint that Hitler was just humiliating the appeasers.

date: July 1936. In March 1936, German troops had

re-occupied the Rhineland.

Significance: Low is warning that Hitler needed to be confronted, or he would continue trying to take over more countries.

Denotation (what you see) : question marks

Connotation  : Low does not know what Hitler will do next.

Meaning: Low does not know what Hitler will do next, but he is sure that Hitler intends to continue until he rules the world.

4

De belangrijkste vragen die je bij een spotprent moet kunnen beantwoorden:

1. Wat zie je? (benoem elementen / labels)

2. Wat betekenen die elementen?

3. wat is de boodschap van de tekenaar?

4. aan welke kant staat de tekenaar? 

welke elementen zie je (zonder ze te interpreteren)

 Wat betekenen die elementen?

Wat is de boodschap van de tekenaar?

Aan welke kant staat de tekenaar?

1. pro Hitler / Nazi's
2. anti Hitler / Nazi's

Four questions you must answer when you analyze a cartoon:

What do you see? (elements & labels)

What does it represent / stand for?

What is the artist's message?

What is the artist's POV (point of view)?

name several elements

What do the burning buildings in the
distance represent

What does the bag of gold represent?

Why is the queen drawn with a cloak?

What is the artist's message?

What's the artist's POV?

1. pro-German
2. anti-German

Four questions you must answer when you analyze a cartoon:

1. What do you see? (elements & labels)
2. What does it represent / stand for?
3. What event / subject is it about?
4. What is the artist's message?
5. What is the artist's POV (point of view)?

name several elements

interpret the elements

What is the artist's message?

What's the artist's POV?

1. pro-German
2. anti-German

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