1914 Streltsova Russian Propaganda, World War I, Battle of the Yser

A dramatic piece of wartime propaganda, this c. 1914 Russian-language lubok illustration celebrates a rare Belgian victory in the opening phase of World War I (1914 - 1818). It was printed by M. A. Streltsova and was the 7th in a series of such propaganda broadsides titled 'European War.'

A Closer Look

This piece depicts an engagement in late September 1914 near Mechelen (then Malines) on the approach to Antwerp and the ring of fortresses that surrounded it. As the text below explains, advancing German troops were caught unawares when the Belgians destroyed nearby dams, flooding the flatland where they had amassed. Then, the Belgians began firing on the mired German troops from the adjacent Antwerp forts. The broadside celebrates the battle as a great victory that would 'teach the Germans a lesson' but, in reality, the Belgians were forced to surrender Antwerp only weeks later and retreat westwards, leaving most of the country under German occupation.

Lubok (лубо́к) Prints

Lubok prints are a tradition of inexpensive, popular prints that began in Russia in the 17th century. Lubki were initially produced by woodblock printing but were adapted to modern printing techniques, including copperplates and lithography. They were typically simple but colorful graphics intended to capture attention, usually with minimal text as, when the tradition began, the intended audience was often illiterate. Lubki could touch on a variety of subjects, including religion, folk culture, and famous battles, but lent themselves particularly well to satire. They were sometimes serialized and are considered a predecessor to modern comic strips. Though they fell out of favor in the early 20th century, lubok prints are now seen as a unique window into pre-modern popular culture.

Publication History and Census

This work is the 7th in the series of propaganda prints titled 'European War' (Европейская война), subtitled (at bottom) 'The Belgians exploding their dams and the death of German troops near Malines.' No artist is named, but it was lithographed by M. A. Streltsova (М. А. Стрельцова) in Moscow. This work is quite scarce. The Library of Congress catalogs a digital example of the print, part of a larger collection of Russian World War I propaganda assembled by the World Digital Library and originally held by the British Library. However, we have been unable to locate the work in the British Library admittedly confounding catalog.