Remember the Marne!

Sopwithback Saturday returns yet again to the summer of a century ago, as World War I raises the curtain on Act III.

On balance, events in the first half of 1918 seemed to trend in favor of Kaiser Wilhelm's goals of a German-dominated Mitteleuropa. Russia and Romania had surrendered to Berlin's peace terms; fledgling Baltic nations were installing German princelings as their heads of state; and Germany's gargantuan  Pariser-Geschutz was lobbing shells into Paris with impunity.

"The 'Friedensturm'" by Billy Ireland in Columbus Dispatch, ca. July or August, 1918

But in July and August, the Entente Powers beat back Germany's assault along the Marne River, General Ludendorff's "Friedensturm," which would prove to be Germany's final offensive of the war. Combined with Italy's repelling Austrian forces back across the Piave, the Central Powers found themselves on the defensive after five years of virtual stalemate on their western and southern fronts.

"Who's Looney Now?" by Nelson Harding in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, ca. July/August, 1918

The allies' victories were thanks to a cooperative effort under Allied Commander Ferdinand Foch, a French general, but that didn't stop American cartoonists from giving the Yanks the lion's share of the credit. To be sure, some British, French and Italian cartoonists cheered on the contribution of American doughboys as well, and there are also American cartoons praising General Foch.

I can't tell who was responsible for the above cartoon attributed to the New Orleans Times-Picayune. W.K. Patrick was an editorial cartoonist for the paper during the summer of 1918, but the crosshatching pen-and-ink style of the work of his that I've seen does not match that of this charcoal artist.

"One Day's Bag" by Kenneth R. Chamberlain in Philadelphia Evening Bulletin, ca. July/August, 1918

Allied media were reporting victories in the air and at sea as well as on the ground. Victories in the air were largely the products of the English and French air forces. Their bombing raids into Germany targeted munitions factories, aerodromes, and transportation lines. At sea, the failure of the German u-boats to sink the ships carrying soldiers from America would prove a significant factor in Germany's ultimate defeat.

"But He Got Away" by Garrett Price in Great Lakes Bulletin, ca. August, 1918

My round-up of German cartoons a few weeks ago included some dismissive depictions of Native American soldiers, so it's only fair to counter them with some acknowledgement of Native Americans' contribution to the war from the American press.

"Civilizing the Savage" by Burt Thomas in Detroit News, ca. August, 1918

Native Americans fought in Canadian and American regiments with distinction and bravery, despite being denied citizenship, voting, and property rights at home. Choctaw fighters in World War I were the first "code talkers" to foil German eavesdropping by radioing in their native tongue. And unlike the segregated regiments of Black soldiers from the U.S., Native Americans fought alongside their European-American fellow doughboys. Like Black soldiers, however, they came home after the war to a thankless, even hostile, nation.

"Keep Your Eye on the Melting-Pot Warrior" by Harry J. Westerman in Ohio State Journal, ca. August, 1918

Harry Westerman's melting pot cartoon portrays an ideal of non-hyphenated Americanism enjoying increasing popularity during the war — here in a more charitable fashion than, say Sydney Joseph Greene's work. Hearing a variety of languages other than English spoken in the streets, in shops, and most certainly in churches had been the norm up to this point; but the suspicion that anyone speaking German must perforce be plotting against the Republic lingered after the war, extending to Italians, Danes, Poles, etc. etc.

The pro-war patriotic songs being churned out by Tin Pan Alley included several tunes about how all our soldiers were indistinguishable from one another once they were given their uniforms and buzzcuts. But as for Cpl. Cohen and Pfc. Sing Hop, the brotherhood they experienced on the battlefield with their fellow recruits was probably buried in those foreign fields with the rest of the fallen.

"As the Tide of Battle Turns..." by John T. McCutcheon in Chicago Tribune, July 25, 1918

Meanwhile, the Kaiser's government was finding new urgency in peace talks. All the European forces were weary of war; but the influx of fresh American soldiers, untried as many of them were, was not going to be balanced by any hundreds of thousands of new soldiers on the Central Powers' side.

"More German Strategy" by Paul Plaschke in Louisville Times,  ca. August, 1918

Thank goodness Paul Plaschke thought to label "Fritz" in this cartoon. I would have been terribly confused otherwise.

"When He Goes Home" by William Hanny in St. Joseph News-Press, ca. August, 1918

William Hanny's cartoon is typical of a slew of editorial cartoons imagining Kaiser Wilhelm dissembling about the war to a German hausfrau. As far as American media were concerned, any continued popular support for the war in Germany could only be the product of state-sponsored misinformation.

"Sh-h-h! Dond't Wake the Baby" by Nelson Harding in Brooklyn Daily Eagle, August 4, 1918

Tune in again next week for some of that state-sponsored misinformation.