It's interesting to look though a years worth of editorial cartoons day by day. These cartoons are all from the Montreal Gazette in the year preceding WWII -- 1938 and 1939. All the great villains of the 20th century are here, Hitler, Stalin, and Mussolini. The cartoons are by the Englishman David Low, Canadian John Collins, Thomas (Bert Thomas?) and a Popeye knock-off by Britisher Sidney Strube. The top cartoon is from January 11, the last cartoon is from Jan 1 1940.
Interesting to see these Canadian cartoons. (I was particularly charmed by the flour sack with a Mountie hat.)
ReplyDeleteThe situation was a lot more complex south of the border (despite the best efforts of the American Right to rewrite history), with the German-Amercan Bund enjoying widespread support and a general conservative admiration for pro-industry strongmen like Mussolini. While not cartoons, I've read some unedited American political magazines from '39-'40, and it's very scary stuff in retrospect.
In contrast, in 1939, Canada's political prospects were much more closely tied to Britain's sphere of influence than to any generic "North American" identity.
If Hitler hadn't been foolish enough to back Hirohito, it's extremely doubtful that the US would have entered the war at all. (My racist grampa volunteered for the Pacific, because he couldn't bring himself to shoot at Good Germans.)
Sorry, Canadians. You died for our sins. Again.