Propaganda for the youngest in the years of the First World War was not neglected by all its main participants. The Germans did not stand aside either. The presented below “illustrated book about the war” with a straightforward title «Hurrah» (Hurra! Ein Kriegsbilderbuch von Herbert Rikli) was created by the illustrator Herbert Rickli(1880-1939) and published in 1915 in Stuttgart.
The book of 23 pages tells us about the little Willie, who read too many books with pictures and outplayed soldiers. When the boy fell asleep, he had a dream about meeting hordes of silly and coward French, Russians, Serbs, and British, who insidiously used animals to defeat Germany. He was in the company of his Austrian friend Franzl and heroic dog. There is no doubt that the victory was on the needed side, at least before awakening.
The remarkable fact is that Ricklihimself was not German, but Swiss.
Click on the image to see it in full size.
Playing soldiers and reading books about mice and frogs end with a distressing dream, in which the war begins. Willie together with his faithful dog joining the watch on the Rhine…
… which is instantly attempted to be forced by the French. In the first battle the enemy was hit, and the prisoners should be fished out from the water. Aerial reconnaissance with the help of bird-like «Taube» shows the activity of French bomb squads and gunners, using moles and hares. Of course, the enemy was hit again!
After comes the turn of French colonial troops, its frog cavalry, strange Gurkhas, who cannot hold kukris, and Tommy riding on grasshoppers. A short respite and insidious Russian man lures Willie to Masurian swamps
But the insidious Russian was defeated, as well as his Cossacks, which were riding on grey mice. Willies best friend Franzl came to visit him. Smocking the tube – nowadays an artist would get to trial for such a children’s book – Franzl tells about his feats in the war against Serbs and Montenegrins…
… and also against Russians. Together friends are fighting against Ivans, who are hiding in snowdrifts under St. Andrey's flag. The war gets a nasty turn for Willie – he even had to stay in the hospital.
After treatment in the hospital the war resumes in a slightly different scale. On a submarine Willie drowns British cruisers (according to the digit on the bridge, this boat belongs to the famous Otto Weddigen, and poor Aboukir, Cressy and Hogue are drowning.) Willie bombs London from a Zeppelin gondola, and under such a pressure the victory and triumph of the winners is inevitable, it is even pity to wake up!
