Life — November 3, 1910 — page 31: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

The caption reads "DIEU LE VEUT" ("God Wills It") and references "Pope Urbanity II blessing (?) Peter the Hermit and the New Crusade." This is a satirical comparison between medieval crusades and contemporary events. The cartoon depicts figures in ornate religious and royal dress presenting banners to armed figures, mimicking historical crusade imagery. The satire appears to criticize Pope Urban II's apparent blessing of what the cartoonist calls a "new crusade"—likely referencing early 20th-century military conflicts or religious-political movements being justified with religious rhetoric. The artist (signed "Orth Cushina") uses historical parallel to mock the invocation of religious authority for military adventures. The elaborate costumes and solemn ceremony emphasize the pretension of framing modern conflicts in crusade terminology.