Russo-Japanese War through the Puck Magazine Cartoons

History of the magazine

Puck (magazine) - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Illustration shows a drunken Russian man holding a jug of vodka and wildly swinging a bloodly sword at a wasp representing Japan. John Bull and Uncle Sam sit in the background.

Illustration shows a Japanese soldier training a group of soldiers of various nationalities and ethnicities, including Koreans.

Illustration shows Meiji, the Emperor of Japan, peering over the top of a large globe from the east toward Europe where the rulers of several nations stand with Nicholas II, the wounded and crippled emperor of Russia; there is concern among the European leaders about where Japan will turn after defeating Russia.

Illustration shows the Russian Bear as a soldier with rifle turned into a scarecrow labeled "Russia"; a crow labeled "Japan" bites its nose, another crow labeled "England" is perched on its cap, and a crow labeled "Germany" is flying around its head, a crow labeled "Turkey" is on the ground at its feet, and a crow labeled "China" is perched on the rifle butt. All these crows, and several others on a fence nearby, are cawing with laughter at the scarecrow.

 

Illustration shows Nicholas II, emperor of Russia, sitting on a throne, wearing a large skull topped with a cross as a crown; a Japanese man is offering him papers labeled "Peace 'with Honor'" and a Jewish man, holding bags labeled "Jewish Loans" is standing in a palace doorway in the background. There is an overflowing basket of papers labeled "Jewish Petition [and] Protest against Kishineff Massacres" piling up on the floor. A paper on a desk states "Cost of War to Russia $1,042,500,000".

Illustration shows a crown in the shape of a human skull against a background of blood dripping into the title area at the bottom.

Illustration shows Nicholas II, Emperor of Russia, clutching against his chest a doll that is wearing a crown labeled "Autocracy" as he races through the woods in a troika pursued by a pack of angry, ravenous wolves.

Illustration shows Field Marshal Ōyama Iwao of the Japanese forces standing at the top of a hill, holding binoculars, while troops move artillery up the hill behing him; a battle rages in the backrground.

Illustration shows the ghost of Louis XVI of France warning Nicholas II of Russia to not make a hasty decision regarding the imprisoned writer Maxim Gorky and to heed the "Petition" and impassioned pleas for his release.

Illustration shows two scenes, first when political prisoners or activists were sentenced to hard labor and sent to Siberia, and second, now they are sent to serve on legislative assemblies.

 

Illustration shows Theodore Roosevelt wearing military uniform with the Japanese Imperial seal on the hat, holding a rifle, and standing behind the "Park Row Earth Works", as two rolled-up newspapers labeled "Sun" and "World" with rifles charge the earthworks. The background shows the war flag of the Japanese Imperial Army.

Illustration shows Meiji, Emperor of Japan, and Nicholas II, kneeling before the female figure of "Peace".

Illustration shows the Russian Bear with a house of cards, each card labeled a different country, "England, France, Germany, Japan, U.S., Austria, China, Italy, [and] Turkey", the king on each card bears some facial characteristics of the ruler of the country, including Uncle Sam; a dove of "Peace" has landed on top of the cards, alarming the bear. The bear's right paw and claws are touching the "Japan" card.

 

A man representing Russia holds a cat-o'-nine tails labeled "Russia" with the lashes labeled "Absolutism, Persecution, [and] Tyranny." Next to him, on the left, are several dead or wounded people with the word "Kishneff" written on the ground, and in the background, clouds labeled "Finland" and "Poland" are hovering above large groups of people being persecuted by the Russians. The man is shielding his eyes against a burst of sunlight on the right in which is a Japanese woman labeled "Modern Japan" surrounded by the words "Justice, Progressiveness, Humaneness, Enlightenment, Tolerance [and] Religious Liberty." The figure of a Japanese man labeled "Medievalism" lies on the ground, crushed by the light of "Modern Japan."