Sourcing

What

This is a political cartoon of Germany’s divide on the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. The cartoon shows the tension between the German officials who felt guilted into signing the treaty against the people of Germany who were going to feel the effects of losing money, capital, and territory.

When

The cartoon was created on April 2nd, 1919.

Who/Creator

The creator of the political cartoon is Clifford Berryman.

Contextualization

The hotspots in the image below demonstrate and show the historical context of the photo.

Treaty of Versailles

The Treaty of Versailles ended the ongoing battles between the Allies comprised of the United States, United Kingdom, and France, and the main Axis power which was Germany.

This treaty was known as a “War Guilt” clause which means the Allies did not really give Germany any other option but to sign a clause that would completely destroy the German economy, structures, and foundations.

German Reaction to the Treaty of Versailles

The Germans felt that they were not at fault for the mess that Germany had to go through, and felt that the mix of large capital loss and loss of territory was humiliating, as the German economy went into heavy poverty.

Johannes Bell

Johannes Bell is a part of the Social Democratic Party of Germany and has taken over the railroad system of Reich, and he signed the Treaty of Versailles. When the National Socialists came to power he decided to resign from politics.

Corroboration

There are several types of resources that can go further in-depth on this political cartoon. The historical meaning of German outrage over the signing of the Treaty of Versailles. Great sources such as looking at Johannes Bell and many others can explain the historical context of what the citizens felt over the Treaty as well as the elite class.

Additional Resources

This first source gives a general overview of the reaction to the Treaty of Versailles.

https://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/germans-prepare-to-protest-versailles-treaty-terms

This second source shows the life of Johannes Bell and shows his political career.

https://www.kas.de/en/web/geschichte-der-cdu/biogram-detail/-/content/johannes-hans-josef-alexander-bell