VINTAGE 1936 PUNCH CARTOON "THE GOOSE- STEP" NAZI MARCH - RHINELAND

Description: It is hard to escape the legacy of the Punch Magazine. From 1841 to 2002, the magazine cast a satirical eye on life in Britain. It charted the interests, concerns and frustrations of the country and today it stands as an invaluable resource not just as cartoon art and satire, but as primary source material for social historians.This is an original cartoon from Punch magazine, drawn Ernest H. Shepard, and published October 5, 1918 and first published in full page format on March 18, 1936., vintage not a modern reproduction. THE GOOSE-STEP is a political cartoon by E. H. Shepard. It was published in Punch, a British weekly magazine, in 1936. It was increasingly critical of Germany’s foreign policy and was keen for the League of Nations to take a stronger position against Hitler.DescriptionIt shows an armed goose marching down a road. There is a swastika on its chest, and it is stepping on a torn Locarno Pact. The Goose holds an olive branch in its beak with a label reading "Pax Germanica" attached to it. There are many National Socialist flags sticking out of the buildings it is walking past. Below the drawing of the goose there is a short poem, which parodies the nursery rhyme Goosey Goosey Gander:The Goose-Step"Goosey Goosey Gander.Whither dost thou wander?""Only through the Rhineland—Pray excuse my Blunder!"InterpretationThis cartoon shows that the remilitarisation of Rhineland was the first step Hitler took towards abolishing the Treaty of Versailles (first gamble). In the beginning, Hitler claimed that he was going only for Rhineland "only through the Rhineland" but step by step he started conquering more land and demanded more.The weapons strapped to the Goose represent the rearmament conference which rapidly increased Germany's armed forces and there is a map of Europe strapped to his waist, showing his territorial ambitions. The goose symbolises the soldier walking to go to the battlefield to try and remilitarise the Rhineland, alternatively, the soldier has just seized the city and is walking through it proudly.The torn "Locarno" paper which the goose stands on represents the Locarno Treaty which was made to respect borders and stay within your own, by stepping all over it the cartoonist is saying that Germany is not respecting it, also it shows his desire for greater land for Germany. The goose has literally broken the Locarno treaty, both the rules of the treaty and the piece of paper.The olive branch in the goose's beak has a label attached saying "Pax Germanica" (in reference to Pax Romana). The "Pax Germanica" also means 'German peace', just another German way of saying peace. Also, the olive branch is a symbol of peace in Western culture. However, the cartoon is obviously mocking Germany for saying they have peaceful intentions even though their actions say the opposite.\Germany is also depicted as a goose because it was used as a nickname for the soldiers. Other countries mocked the German soldiers for walking with their legs so high up, which they thought looked similar to a goose. Moreover, the Goose is walking proudly showing Germany's Nationalistic nature.The cartoon’s title is taken from the goose step, the special marching step performed on formal military parades and other ceremonies, which originated in a Prussian military drill in the mid-18th century called the Stechschritt, and which was particularly associated with Nazi Germany.The Nazi symbols and flags show that the Goose is walking in a Nazi-controlled area or an area recently taken over by the Nazis. Furthermore, the Nazi symbols could be a sign of Germany's aggression. Finally, the map of Europe strapped to the goose represents its territorial ambitions and how they want more land.Full size: 8 x 10 1/2 inches, including broad borders. Pictured image is slightly cropped. Bright and clean, verso with unrelated print. A fine copy. For framingI have other hard-to-find original Punch cartoon illustrations for sale. Combine orders with no extra shipping fees. Punch, a magazine of humor and satire, ran from 1841-2002. A very British institution renowned internationally for its wit and irreverence, it helped to coin the term "cartoon" in its modern sense as a humorous illustration.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------Questions welcome. Extra images can be added by request. International shipping available. All orders are carefully packaged for safe delivery. Experienced full time professional bookseller since 1994; print, map and poster seller since 2000.

Price: 17.95 USD

Location: Milton, Vermont

End Time: 2025-02-02T21:10:10.000Z

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