How do I interpret a cartoon?

Think about what you know of events about the date July 1919.   Make a list of 'key facts’.   Then click the blue text to reveal what I wrote down.

	Germany had just been defeated in WWI.
	The Treaty of Versailles had been signed on 28 June 1919.
	It had been written by the ‘Big Three’ and imposed on Germany.
	Clemenceau wanted to ruin Germany
	The Treaty blamed Germany for the war
	The Treaty made her pay ‘reparations’ for ALL the damage.
	Germany lost lots of land.
	Germany had to give up most of her armed forces.
	The Germans hated the Treaty.

Now make a list of all the things you see in the cartoon.   Not all these things may have a meaning, but list them anyway.   Then click the blue text to reveal what I wrote down.

	Young girl – beautiful but poorly.
	Vampire – evil-looking.
	The Vampire is sucking the girl’s blood.
	Weapons – laid to one side.
	Two more bats outside the window.
	A bed.
	The curtains are blowing – the window is open.

What would be your answer to the following questions?   Think about your answers, then click the blue text to reveal what I wrote down.

	WHO drew the cartoon, and where did he come from?   A German newspaperman.
	What would he have thought about the topic he was drawing about?   He would probably have hated the Treaty like other Germans.
	What would he have been wanting to say? He would have been biased against the Treaty   He would have wanted to say that the Treaty was too harsh.   He would have wanted to say that it was a wicked, unfair Treaty.

Look at our list of things we saw.  For each, try to suggest what/who they stood for – and what they were ‘saying’ (what they meant)?   If you think an element doesn’t have a particular meaning, then say: ‘No meaning’.   Then click the blue text to reveal what I wrote down.

	Young girl – beautiful but poorly. Germany is a wonderful country, but she has just been defeated in the war and is very weak.
	Vampire – evil-looking. The Vampire stands for Clemenceau.   He is a wicked, evil man who just wants to hurt Germany.
	The Vampire is sucking the girl’s blood. …just like Clemenceau (by taking reparations/ land from Germany) is killing Germans by ‘sucking the life blood’ out of Germany.
	Weapons – laid to one side. The Treaty of Versailles had made Germany give up her submarines and planes, and most of the army and navy.
	Two more bats outside the window. These are Britain and America – helping Clemenceau, and waiting to take their share.
	A bed. Perhaps this doesn’t mean anything, but I think it adds an element of sex.   Clemenceau is not just killing Germany, he is violating her – sort of raping her – when she cannot defend her honour.   It makes what he is doing is seem just so much more immoral and disgusting.
	The curtains are blowing – the window is open. Germany cannot defend herself.   The way is open for other countries to swoop in and take what they want from defenceless Germany.
	‘What is the overall message of the cartoon?’ The cartoonist is saying that Clemenceau was an evil man,  who wanted to violate Germany,  and that the Treaty – in taking land and reparations from Germany, and in not letting Germany have an army – would kill Germany  (which was already weak after the war).

It shows historians (click the blue text to see what I thought):

	that the Germans thought the Treaty of Versailles would ruin Germany,
	that they thought it was wicked what it had done to Germany,
	how much they hated the French,
	how much they hated reparations,
	that they were scared that the reduction of their armed forces left them defenceless,
	that they blamed Britain and America too