It’s not often that femdom artwork intersects with momentous world events, but I believe this cartoon is one such case. I couldn’t find any background information for it but, given I’m an enormous history nerd, I can take an educated guess. Apologies if this ends up being a lot of history and very little femdom, but I think the cartoon has a fascinating connection to a historical turning point that shaped the entire 20th century.
The man being beaten by Lady Germania is Joseph Chamberlain, a key figure in the British government before the First World War and father of the infamous (to be) Neville. In Joseph’s era, Britain was the dominant world and naval power, and Germany was rapidly becoming the dominant European land power. Some elements of the two governments thought they should form an Anglo-German alliance, each concentrating on their respective strengths on land and at sea. Together with America, they believed this would allow them to divide up and dominate the world. This was opposed by those on the British side who thought it would just give Germany a chance consolidate their power in Europe before turning on Britain. In the German camp there was opposition from those who thought they could never be a world power without building a challenge to the Royal Navy, which Britain would never stand for.
Ironically, despite this cartoon, Joseph Chamberlain was actually one of the key British figures pushing for friendship and alliance with Germany in the late 1890’s. This cartoon was probably published around 1901 when his third attempt at negotiating an alliance had fallen through over a dispute on the conduct of British soldiers in the Boer war. Chamberlain in turn attacked the conduct of German troops, their press castigated him and Britain ultimately ended up allied with France and Russia against Germany.
It’s intriguing to think what would have happened if he’d succeeded. WWI clearly would have not happened or would have unfolded very differently. And WWI was the defining event of the 20th century. From it flowed the Russian revolution and communism, America’s transition to a world power, the collapse of European states in fascism and and ultimately WWII. From that flowed the Cold War, the collapse of the colonial empires, the rebuilding of Japan and the growth of China.
Of course it’s impossible to know what the world would have been like if Chamberlain hadn’t end up under the lash of progress by Lady Germania. I think it’s safe to say it would have been a very different place. I wonder what the artist would have thought if he’d known what was to come?
Google Translate doesn’t a good job of the top text, so if anyone can help with a translation there I’d be interested to know what it says. The bottom appears to be “A striking answer by the German people to the attacks of Chamberlain.”
I have seen this cartoon before and it seems strangely up-to-date but this time the Lady is the European Community and Joseph Chamberlain could be any one of the complacent, unrealistic backwards looking politicians in power in the UK at the moment!
Neville Chamberlain is infamous but his infamy is undeserved, at least in part.
I believe its true to say that he was fully aware of the sort on man Adolf Hitler was and his negotiations provided just enough time for Britain to rebuild its armed forces, the Royal Airforce in particular.
Debating the legacy of Neville Chamberlain is probably a more challenging problem than can be fitted into the comments here 🙂
I’ve seen some arguments that the blinkers only fell from his eyes when Hitler invaded Czechoslovakia, and he was terrible naive before then. Churchill was of that opinion. I’ve also seen arguments like yours that he knew what he was doing and was smartly playing for time.
Similarly, I’ve seen arguments that the more modern Czech army and their stronger border fortifications would have given the Germans a much tougher challenge than the invasion of Poland, and a German setback there would have given Hitlers opponents a chance to move against him. On the other hand one can argue that the political climate would not have supported England or France going to war at that stage and it was only when Hitler had broken his word repeatedly that they had the backing to take a stand.
And of course one can argue that whatever the constraints he faced at Munich, he was one of the key politicians that had let Hitler re-arm and get to the point where he could make those demands, and force Britain to play for time. When Hitler came to power, Germany was far weaker than Britain or France, and Chamberlain was a vital member of the British government through the 30’s as Hitler rebuilt his strength.
Whatever his failings, I think one does have to feel sorry for Neville Chamberlain. He fought hard to avoid another world war, doing what he thought was right, and died in 1940 when everything had fallen apart and Germany was ascendant.
-paltego
Hi paltogo,
Here comes your translation:
Hurra Germania !
You sons oft he German land (country)
Listen to what I recognize (judge) as right:
German Sword and German Beating
Are more useful then German Love
The text in the whip leash is not clear to read.
Possibly it reads as Provesba, a kind of wasp and shall
illustrate a stinging beat
Have fun
Nonani
Thanks! Appreciate the translation. Sounds like a very BDSM attitude :). I guess the political message in this case is that it’s better to fight and be strong than to make friends.
-paltego
the whip reads “Protest” that means protest
Thanks. I thought it was ‘Progress’, which would also make sense in context, but looking again I think you’re right. It looks more like ‘Protest’.
-paltego
“Hurray Germania,
To her sons on German land, hear what I consider to be true:
The German sword and a German beating
are more useful than German love.”
Thanks! Knew my great readers would come through for me on that. As I mentioned in the comment to NoNani, it sounds like the message was to fight and be strong over to love and be friends. Which (sadly) fits the times.
-paltego