Life — June 21, 1917 — page 21: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon depicts a small, helmeted military figure (appearing to be German, based on the spiked "Pickelhaube" helmet) confronting an enormous angelic or divine figure with massive wings. The soldier declares "I can break it," seemingly referring to the winged figure or what it represents. The satire likely critiques German militarism and hubris during World War I, suggesting that military force cannot overcome spiritual, moral, or divine forces. The stark contrast between the tiny soldier and the towering celestial being underscores the cartoon's message: that human warfare is insignificant against larger moral or transcendent powers. The artist, signed "Broughton," uses this religious symbolism to mock German military confidence.