Judge — October 26, 1918 — page 1: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Analysis of "Die Wacht Am Rhein" This Judge magazine cover from October 26, 1918 depicts an American soldier standing vigilantly at what appears to be a fortified position, with the American flag prominently displayed behind him. The title "Die Wacht Am Rhein" (German: "The Watch on the Rhine") is a famous German patriotic song. The satire works by appropriating this German nationalist anthem for American purposes—suggesting American soldiers now guard the Rhine River and German borders, implying Allied military victory in World War I (which ended weeks later in November 1918). The soldier's resolute stance symbolizes American military strength and the defeat of German militarism. This is triumphalist propaganda artwork celebrating the anticipated Allied victory in the final weeks of WWI.