Life — February 21, 1918 — page 8: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire: "I Meet Gott" (God) This page satirizes German nationalism and Kaiser Wilhelm II's claims of divine authority. The narrator interviews "Gott" (God)—identified as "the one created by Emperor William"—mocking Wilhelm's infamous statement that God was on Germany's side during WWI. The large illustration shows a crowd of well-dressed German civilians and military figures gathered around this "Prussian Gott," depicted as a figure in formal dress. The accompanying poem "Mary had a little lamb" appears to be satirical commentary on German propaganda. The text's central joke: if you've appointed God yourself for propaganda purposes, you cannot claim his objective support. The satire critiques how Wilhelm weaponized religious authority to justify German aggression and win public backing for the war.