Conclusion: Analysing Political Cartoons
Political cartoons, especially old cartoons, should be approached with care. The message of the cartoon is found in the visual image, the label and the caption. Political cartoons present a criticism of an event or an important person or group. To discover what it is about will require you to use your knowledge of the period as well as the cartoon. The follow questions should be answered to analyse political cartoons.

World War I was a disaster for Russia. Many Russians blamed the Tsar for the failures of the army and the government. By 1917, as in 1905, all sections of society were united in the belief that the only way to save Russia was to overthrow the Tsar.

Who Drew it?	Friend or foe? What nationality is the cartoonist? Cartoonists rarely attack their own country in wartime but often attack other countries.
Who was the intended audience for the cartoon?	Look at the caption to see where the cartoon was published and what type of publication it is in.
Who are the main characters?	The main characters are sometimes identified by symbols. How are the characters presented? Look at the way they are dressed and what they are doing.
What is happening in the foreground and the background?	Look at every detail. In cartoons everything in the picture is there for a purpose. Are symbols being used? Animals are often shown to represent a country. [See below]
What is the action in the cartoon?	This will usually be the event being criticised. So always note the date of the publication and link this to what you know about the period.
October 1915	Germans attacked the Russians and drove them out of Poland. Russians lost over 750,000 men
What is the main idea?	This may not be clear at first. Use your knowledge of the topic to put the cartoon into historical context. Look at the title and caption for dates and clues.
What is the viewpoint of the cartoonist?	Check for bias and propaganda

Some symbols used to identify countries or people:

Animals:

Bear = Russia

Eagle = Germany

Bulldog/Lion = England

Other symbols:

The helmet with a point on it (pickelhaube) = Germany

John Bull, fat man in waistcoat, sometimes wearing Union Jack = Britain

Uncle Sam (tall thin man with striped pants = USA

Skullcap with half crescent = Turkey

Fleur de lis (three leafed lily) = France

Look for women who are used to identify a country. In this case there will be some symbol to identify who she is meant to represent.

Use the guidelines above to analyse the first cartoon then use them to work out what the message is in each of the other cartoons.

Cartoon Study
To understand this cartoon you must know that Nicholas made a speech just after he became Tsar in which he pledged to defend autocracy. This is part of the speech. "I intend to protect the principle of autocracy as firmly and unswervingly as did my late and never to be forgotten father."

Now using the guidelines for analysing cartoons answer all of the questions. When you have answered each question you should have fully analysed the cartoon.

Then go to the page of cartoons linked below. Look at the cartoons and see what you learn about the topic from them.

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