Humoristische Kaart van Europa 1870

Dutch edition of a rare German caricature map showing the political situation in Europe during the Franco-Prussian War. Published as a response to Paul Hadol's French serio-comic map released earlier that same year.



The text below the map describes each of the caricatured nations, roughly translating to:

England sits in wait on a sack of wool; his flag of neutrality is a bit tattered from sending powder and arms to France. Ireland wants to break free from the English umbilical cord through Fenianism. Spain still searches for its lost king, and promises the honest finder a crown. Corsica tries to give birth again to a "great Corsican". Sicily invites a new vesper. Turkey is smoking and will soon see its political existence go up in smoke. Italy plays Impatience [a card game] with Rome and loses. France loses two of his shirt-tails (Alsace and Lorraine) which Germany holds in his hand while playing 'catch me if you can'. Prussia has it already - Austria lurks. Belgium and the Netherlands invite the warring powers to visit with a dish of bayonets and flasks. Switzerland heals the wounded. Denmark says "Well, he is still there" and Russia waits with a sharpened dagger to cut a piece of the crescent moon [Turkey]. The comedy is spectated by Norway and Sweden.

This style of caricature map which sought to portray the comic side of war remained immensely popular until the latter stages of the First World War when the grim realities of years of trench warfare turned the public mood away from comic depictions of war.



Published in the Netherlands by Emrik & Binger. Printed colour. [EUR1467]