Life — September 9, 1920 — page 19: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This cartoon by Louis Raemaekers depicts an allegorical confrontation between two political systems over Russia, personified as a woman. On the left stands a figure representing **Feudalism**—depicted as an older, bearded man in simple clothing. On the right is a soldier in modern military gear representing **Bolshevism**. The caption "I Will Set Her Free" suggests competition between these opposing ideologies to control Russia's future. The cartoon satirizes the Russian Revolution's political upheaval, presenting both feudalism and Bolshevism as competing forces claiming to liberate the Russian people. The woman symbolizes Russia itself, caught between two revolutionary/political movements, each promising freedom but implying possession rather than genuine liberation.