After the beginning of the World War I, Italy took a long pause, and then went against its allies from Triple Alliance. In numerous satirical drawings of that time, the country was presented as a bride for whose favor several grooms compete. To some extent it was that way. At the same time, in Italy itself, until the choice was made, satirical artists were free to paint the events from the point of view of neutrality (but without hiding their sympathies).
Below is a selection of postcards drawn by the Italian artist Lorenzo Contratti, who painted under the pseudonym Renzo C. Ventura in the style of the great French graphic artist Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec. The main villains here, of course, are Wilhelm and Franz Joseph, but the Entente allies sometimes do not look the best either.
On the right: “Tradition!” (Tradizione!). Germany, depicted in the form of a Prussian hussar, rides a horse loaded with plunder knee-deep in blood and leads humiliated Belgium on a rope
On the right: “Money or life!” (La Borsa … e la Vita!). Kaiser is trying to rob France and take her purse with the inscription «Bank of France." However, the complexion and pose of Marianne make one doubt the success of the enterprise
On the right: The Pact (Il Patto). Kaiser of Germany and the emperor of Austria-Hungary drown the planet in blood
On the right: “… and this is Paris in 1915” (… e Cosi a Parigi nel … 1915). A tattered Kaiser, with his regalia and long-range canons stuffed in his pockets, sings in the company of the Franz Joseph-poodle. A fragment of the Gospel of Matthew is attached to the guitar: “My lord will not come soon”
On the right: “Go ahead, bersalerier!” (Avanti dunque, Bersagliere!). One leg of the riding horse of the Central Empires is left for Italy, the rest is already being chopped by Britain, France and Russia
