Raemaekers' Cartoon History of the War, Volume 2: The Second Twelve Months of War

In Short

This volume collects political cartoons and historical documentation capturing the second year of World War I, spanning August 1915 to August 1916. Through sharp caricature paired with news dispatches, government notes, and speeches, it details a year defined by brutal attrition, failed peace overtures, and expanding theaters of war. The work spans events from the fall of Warsaw and the execution of Edith Cavell to the battles of Verdun and Jutland. It endures as a vital historical record, capturing the immediate emotional raw tension, propaganda battles, and moral outrage of the Allied world during a grueling deadlock.

The Story

The arc of this second year of war opens in late summer 1915 with Germany attempting to consolidate its position. Having driven deep into Polish territory and occupied Warsaw, the Teutonic forces seek to break the Allied coalition by offering a separate peace to Russia. Petrograd rejects the offer, leaving Russian armies intact from Riga to the Bukovina. Blocked from a quick diplomatic solution, Germany expands the war into the Balkans. Bulgaria enters on the side of the Central Powers, joining a joint Austro-German assault that overwhelms Serbia and Montenegro while Greece maintains an uneasy, contested neutrality.

As autumn deepens, the conflict grows increasingly merciless. The execution of British nurse Edith Cavell in Brussels sparks global condemnation, while Austrian diplomatic maneuvers in the United States lead to the expulsion of Ambassador Dumba for covert subversion. The aerial campaign escalates with Zeppelin raids dropping bombs on London's working-class neighborhoods. Despite these terror tactics, the Western Front remains deadlocked after Allied offensives at Loos and in Champagne yield heavy casualties for minimal ground.

By early 1916, the war shifts toward sheer attrition and global reach. Russian forces launch a successful campaign in Asia Minor, breaking through Turkish lines to capture the key Black Sea stronghold of Trebizond. In the West, Germany concentrates its military might against the French fortress at Verdun, initiating months of bloody fighting around Le Mort Homme and Hill 304. At the same time, unrestricted submarine warfare intensifies in the Atlantic and the English Channel, targeting neutral merchant shipping and passenger vessels like the Hesperian and the Sussex. These naval attacks push the United States closer to active intervention as President Woodrow Wilson issues stern diplomatic warnings to Berlin.

The final months of the war's second year bring massive, coordinated Allied counter-offensives. The High Seas Fleet briefly engages the British Navy at the Battle of Jutland before retreating to port, leaving the naval blockade intact. Though the Allies suffer a major psychological blow with the death of Lord Kitchener when his ship strikes a mine, they seize the strategic initiative by mid-1916. A massive Russian drive shatters Austro-German lines in the East, while British and French forces launch the Somme offensive in the West, forcing the Central Powers onto the defensive across all fronts.

How It Unfolds

The Eastern offensive stalls German forces occupy Warsaw and attempt to negotiate a separate peace with Russia to end fighting on the Eastern Front. Russia rejects the bribe, keeping its armies intact along a defensive line stretching to the Baltic.

The Balkan campaign opens Bulgaria joins the Central Powers, launching a joint attack that overruns Serbia and Montenegro before Allied reinforcements can secure the region. Greece remains officially neutral despite internal division, while Allied forces establish a base at Salonika.

Terror tactics and outrage The execution of nurse Edith Cavell in Brussels and Zeppelin bombing raids over civilian areas in London incite international fury. Meanwhile, the United States expels the Austro-Hungarian ambassador after discovering covert operations aimed at sabotaging American industry.

The grind of Verdun Germany concentrates heavy artillery and elite troops in an attempt to bleed the French army dry at Le Mort Homme and Douaumont. French forces maintain their defense through months of heavy casualties, halting the German advance.

Clash at sea and naval blockades The Battle of Jutland tests the surface fleets of Britain and Germany, ending with the German navy returning to harbor. German submarines continue sinking neutral and commercial shipping, drawing sharp ultimatums from the American government.

The grand Allied counter-attack By July 1916, coordinated Allied offensives alter the war's momentum. The Russian army breaks through enemy lines in the East, while Anglo-French forces launch the Somme offensive to relieve pressure on Verdun.

The People

• Wilhelm II (The German Emperor)

Wants a decisive victory, the submission of Allied nations, and an iron peace imposed by German dominance. Stymied by the failure of submarine tactics, heavy losses at Verdun, and the refusal of his enemies to accept peace terms on his conditions, he is depicted as a reckless ruler driving his nation toward collapse.

• Kaiser Franz Joseph and the Austro-Hungarian Command

Seek the complete subjection of Serbia and the preservation of their empire's eastern borders. Hampered by military weakness, they rely increasingly on German troops and Bulgarian assistance to hold their positions against Russian drives.

• Woodrow Wilson

Strives to preserve American neutrality while defending international law and freedom of the seas. He is confronted by ruthless German submarine warfare, ultimately issuing an ultimatum threatening to sever diplomatic relations unless civilian shipping is spared.

• The French Soldier (The Poilu)

Fights to defend France against invasion and hold the fortresses around Verdun. Sustained by national unity and leadership, the poilu endures relentless bombardment and severe casualties to block the German advance.

• Tsar Nicholas II and the Russian High Command

Aim to hold the Eastern Front and expand their influence into Asia Minor. Despite early retreats in Poland, they rebuild their forces, capture key Turkish strongholds like Erzerum and Trebizond, and launch massive offensives in the summer of 1916.

In Its Own Voice

"He cometh forth like a flower and is cut down."

A minister delivers these words at the simple seaside burial of Private Joseph Walker, an English soldier whose body washed ashore on the Dutch coast after he fell in battle.

"For the sake of the world's future we must first use the knife."

Sir Edward Grey explains that Allied military operations are necessary to eradicate Prussian militarism and restore lasting peace to free nations.

"Now you must accompany us to the end."

War and Hunger address the Kaiser in a satirical dialogue, highlighting the devastation spreading across Europe as the conflict drags into its third year.

What It's Really About

The collection examines how modern industrial warfare transforms statecraft into a brutal campaign of total attrition. Beyond the tactical movements on the Western and Eastern fronts, the volume focuses on the breakdown of international law and the erosion of moral boundaries. It contrasts the noble rhetoric of imperial leadership with the reality of civilian casualties, economic blockades, and forced deportations. The central argument posits that military autocracy relies on deception—both of its own citizens and neutral nations—to justify endless sacrifice. Ultimately, the work asks whether a civilization can endure when scientific innovation is redirected entirely toward mass destruction, asserting that no lasting peace can exist without accountability for aggression.

Why Read It Today

This volume offers a compelling look at World War I as it was experienced and understood in real time. Rather than looking back with decades of hindsight, it captures the immediate anger, anxiety, and visual rhetoric of 1915–1916. Readers interested in military history, political art, and media propaganda will find it an intriguing historical artifact. The contrast between official war office bulletins, diplomatic cables, and biting editorial art highlights how wartime news was framed for public consumption.

The reading experience can be dark and intense, as the text deals directly with civilian casualties, naval sinkings, and heavy battlefield losses. Modern readers should note the unvarnished Allied bias of the period, which uses sharp caricature and moral condemnation against the Central Powers. Yet the work's historical value lies precisely in that raw intensity. It remains a stark reminder of how visual media shapes public perception during international crises, capturing the psychological toll of a world caught in prolonged, destructive conflict.