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Description: | whole: oval
obverse design : Kaiser Wilhelm II, full-length figure, facing left, in uniform and pickelhaube, his hands being bound behind his back by
an African warrior wearing a British style steel helmet. The two figures, at right of design, walk behind a chariot, drawn by two mules,
occupied by Clemenceau beating a drum, Lloyd George dressed as a judge and Woodrow Wilson sitting, holding a stone tablet-like version of
his "Fourteen Points". Behind the chariot are two African escorts carrying standards one, left, bearing a crown, the other, right, bearing
a stylised "W". All figures depicted in caricature
obverse text : "CIR CEN SES 1920" (upper edge)
exergue : "MVNDVS.VVLT.DECIPI ERGO.DICIPIATVR"
reverse design : German military leaders and statesmen, including Hindenburg, von Mackensen, Ludendorff, Bethmann-Hollweg, Tirpitz and
unidentified military and naval commanders, being led, as a captive group, from right to left by a French soldier, a pipe-smoking British
soldier bringing up the rear. To the right of the group an eagle perching on a milestone, a document inscribed "ARTIK 227-230" in its
talons. The eagle appears to be vomiting. All figures depicted in caricature
reverse text : "O! DEVTSCHLAND HOCH IN EHREN!"
(reverse) exergue : "DER GEGNER HASSER-FÜLLTE RACHE"
In this post-war satirical medal, dated 1920, Goetz pours scorn on the draconian terms of the Versailles Peace Treaty,
ratified by the Allies in January 1920. The bittter imagery of his compositions targets particularly the provisions in the Treaty which
assigned guilt for the war to Germany, and made formal arrangements for the punishment of war crimes 'committed' by Kaiser Wilhelm II and
other German leaders. Goetz ridicules the 'War Guilt' clauses which specifically demanded the trial of the Kaiser and the extradition of
the German generals accused of violations of the 'rules of war'. The obverse imagery of the humiliated Kaiser in the custody of near racist
depictions of representatives of the British Empire is accompanied by text translated as 'The circus games', and exergue text as 'The world
wishes to be deceived, hence, it is deceived'. The ironic reverse text is translated as 'O! Germany high in honours!' and the prophetic
motto in the reverse exergue as 'The enemy, full of hatred, piled up the revenge'. | Publisher: | http://www.iwm.org.uk | Subjects: | Injustice of & 28/6/1919 satirical racial stereotypes Treaty of Versailles Signing of & Treaty of Versailles propaganda Articles 227-230 | Source: | Imperial War Museum | Creator: | Goetz, Karl | Identifier: | http://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/o... | Go to resource |
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