Judge — July 27, 1918 — page 3: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# The Hun's Peace Dance This July 1918 cartoon by Charles Sarks depicts "The Hun" (a dehumanizing WWI-era term for Germans) as a grotesque, demonic figure performing a grotesque dance atop a shield. The caricature wields a sword while appearing triumphant, surrounded by radiating lines spelling "KULTUR"—likely mocking German claims of cultural superiority. Below the figure lies a pile of corpses and destruction, suggesting the human cost of German militarism. The cartoon equates German "peace" proposals with barbarism and continued violence rather than genuine reconciliation. Published in July 1918, near WWI's end, this reflects American propaganda portraying Germany as inherently aggressive and uncivilized, delegitimizing German peace initiatives before the armistice in November.