Life — January 10, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# "The ABC of Kultur" - Satirizing German Culture During WWI This page satirizes German militarism and culture during World War I through dark humor. "The ABC of Kultur" presents three illustrated panels mocking German values: - **D** depicts Valhalla (Norse warrior heaven), referencing German romantic glorification of warfare - **W** shows a globe with possessive language ("the World that we want / With a Will for Possession"), critiquing German imperial ambitions - **X** displays a military figure labeled "Cross," with text joking about bombing schoolhouses, brushing up on arson, and murdering nurses and parsons—sarcastically listing atrocities attributed to German conduct The cartoon equates German "Kultur" (culture) with militarism, imperialism, and violence against civilians. This reflects American wartime propaganda portraying Germany as barbaric, published before U.S. entry into WWI (1917).