Judge — December 8, 1917 — page 7: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This satirical illustration from *Judge* magazine depicts a skeletal Death figure looming behind a German military officer in full uniform with a spiked Prussian helmet. The artwork uses the common World War I-era metaphor of Death as the hidden force orchestrating German aggression—the "man behind" driving the conflict. The cartoon reflects American anti-German propaganda from the WWI period, portraying German militarism as inherently linked to death and destruction. The skeletal personification suggests that German leadership brought only carnage and mortality to Europe. This type of imagery was standard in Allied propaganda to dehumanize the enemy and rally public support for the war effort against Germany.