Satirical Posters of the World War I

In fact, the poster is an artistic phenomenon that began to develop rapidly in the last quarter of the nineteenth - early twentieth century in Europe and America, has become an integral part of public life.The stock collection of the poster of the Lviv Historical Museum has more than 13.5 thousand items. Among such diversity, the posters of the World War I (about 60) deserve special attention, a significant part of which has an extraordinary artistic significance.

Posters - Satirical maps of Europe
Posters in the form of satirical maps of battles during the World War I in Europe. Mostly German posters with satire on the Entente troops are presented, 2 posters made in Germany, which copy the posters printed in England, one pro-Russian poster made in Poland.

The poster is a humorous interpretation of the coats of arms or heraldic shields of various Entente countries.

Among the enemies of Germany in the First World War - France, Russia, Britain, Montenegro, Belgium, Serbia and Japan.

The actual national coats of arms of these same countries are presented on the lower edge of the poster.

The poster is a satirical map of Europe in 1914, which shows soldiers in the uniforms of various warring parties, whose bodies form a rough outline of Europe.

Bottom left - artist's signature: Linge and a German poem by Dr. Storch - Text: "Once upon a time there was a lot of talk about European concerts / And everything was in great harmony, / Until one day a Serb destroyed them / And immediately the Russians helped him ...".

Soldiers of the Central Powers, armed with bayonets, swords or spears, attack the soldiers of the Entente.

This satirical map of Europe depicts soldiers of the Triple Alliance guarding their countries and hunting for the various animals that surround their territories.

The hunt is successful because the animals run away from the soldiers in a panic. France is represented by cats, Britain by bulls, Belgium by a hare, Serbia by pigs, Japan by a monkey, Morocco by camels, and Russia by bears.

This map is the first of two satirical geographical caricatures of European countries by the artist Karl Lehmann-Dumont (Karl Lehmann-Dumont), which was published at the beginning of the First World War.

Both Germany and Austria are depicted as grinning soldiers: Germany has one hand on France's shoulder, the other punches the Russian bear in the head; Austria aims his bayoneted rifle at a bearded Russian face.

England has a mailed fist in his face and a zeppelin in the ribs, while Ireland cuts the chain England holds and the Indian python strangles his bulldog. In an inset Japan is shown as a half-clothed tribesman, wielding a sword.

This map is one from two satirical geographical caricatures of European countries by artist Karl Lehmann-Dumont, which was published at the beginning of the First World War.

The map portrays Germany and Austria-Hungary as circus trainers and tamers of fiercely hostile animals that inhabit an increasingly strange and paradoxical European menagerie.

A German propaganda poster depicts the military action of 1915 on a symbolic map of Europe.Each country represented by a depiction of their soldiers or national personifications.

Britain is represented by John Bull who uses money as bait to fish for allies. France is represented by a wounded Marianne. Germany is represented by three soldiers, one of whom moves towards France, while the other two, aided by an Austro-Hungarian soldier, attack a Russian figure.

Another Austro-Hungarian soldier hits an Italian soldier in the mouth with the butt of his rifle. Turkey is represented by a man using a knife and fork to pick up and eat warships.

This propaganda map of Europe is a German copy of an English poster, published by Geographia’ Ltd., London. The poster shows a map of Europe, with the boundary lines of each country containing portraits of their soldiers, citizens, national personifications or animals.

Britain is represented by John Bull wearing a Union Flag waistcoat and stepping over the English Channel. France is represented by Marianne and a cockerel. Austria-Hungary is represented by a clown that holds on to the German eagle while being attacked by a Russian bear and a Serbian dog.

This satirical poster was originally made in Great Britain , but copied and reproduced in Germany as an example of British propaganda. Draws a map of Europe with border lines of some countries, containing caricature portraits of their soldiers.

Other countries are represented by dogs: Britain - a bulldog, France - a poodle, Germany - a dachshund, and Austria-Hungary - a mongrel.

Serbia is represented by a wasp, and Russia by a skating rink led by Tsar Nicholas II.

This pro-Russian propaganda poster shows the Russian tsar in the image of the liberator of Poland.

Poland is depicted as a woman begging the king for help. German bull fights with a French rooster. The collapse of the Austro-Hungarian Empire is symbolized by the crown that lies between the crosses.

Posters of the association "Segodnyashnii Lubok" 
In August 1914, a collective of avant-garde artists created in Russia the "Segodnyashnii Lubok" (Lubok Today)  association, which produced anti-German and anti-Austrian posters in the tradition of the “old” Russian "lubok" (cheap popular print) - in the technique of deliberately primitive colored engraving accompanied by a small text in verse. The association included artists with world-famous names - Kazimir Malevich, Aristarkh Lentulov, David Burliuk, Vladimir Mayakovsky, who was also the author of agitation texts. Despite the fact that the activities of the association ceased in November 2014, the artists created several dozen colorful posters, which became a kind of reflection of the events of the World War I.   The Exhibition presents three posters of the association "Segodnyashnii Lubok".

The satirical propaganda poster was created in the style of Russian Lubok (cheap popular print) by one of the members of the artistic association "Segodnyashnii Lubok" (Lubok Today) artist Kazimir Malevich.

The author depicted a Russian "babu" (woman) in a red sundress, who raises an Austrian on a pitchfork. This depicts the local success of Russian troops in battles with the Austro-Hungarian army near the town of Radziwill (Rivne region, Ukraine).

This satirical propaganda poster was created poet and artist Vladimir Mayakovsky (although some sources indicate the author of work another artist Aristarkh Lentulov).

The poster depicts the retreat of Austrian soldiers in 1914 during the Russian invasion of Galicia, near the Carpathians.

The poster depicts the events of the First World War in the Mediterranean Sea. The author of the poster Vladimir Mayakovsky mixed two events - the battle of Helgoland Bay and the breakthrough of the German cruisers "Goben" and "Breslau" in Constantinople from the Mediterranean Sea.

In the battle of Helgoland Bay on August 28, 1914 the German fleet lost 3 cruisers and a battleship

But the German cruisers "Goben" and "Breslau" repulsed the attacks of the British and French and strengthened the fleet of the Ottoman Empire. The poster is an example of distorting historical facts to please patriotic Russian propaganda.