Life — November 21, 1918 — page 10: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

# Political Satire About Post-WWI Germany This page discusses changing the name "Germany" itself as punishment for German militarism. The text argues that Germany's name has become synonymous with brutality and must be eliminated—that Germans themselves must repent and "strike out for themselves" to create a new identity. The cartoons illustrate this concept: the upper sketch shows destruction/explosion (labeled as noise from enemy fire), while the lower cartoon depicts a figure labeled "Patriotic Victim" telling another character "Come on, Bill, and get your tail cut off. I think it's one of those non-essentials we're supposed to do without"—sarcastically suggesting that renaming Germany is an unnecessary hardship being imposed on Germans as post-war punishment. The satire critiques the vindictiveness of proposed peace terms.