General Description: Russian broadsheet, satirizing the German Kaiser Wilhelm's alliances with Austria-Hungary and Turkey, either at the beginning of 1914 or possibly later in July-August of the same year. Lettered No.40 on the plate and below Lithograph I.D.Sitin Moscow 1914

Russian broadsheet, satirizing the German Kaiser Wilhelm's alliances with Austria-Hungary and Turkey, either at the beginning of 1914 or possibly later in July-August of the same year. Lettered No.40 on the plate and below Lithograph I.D.Sitin Moscow 1914.

The image may play on the fact that Wilhelm was disabled. The verse translates: Nothing is left of Wilhelm's cattle/ The cavalry knew what to do with them / At the head of the German army Vassya [dim. Vassily = Wilhelm] sets out in pursuit of them / But what to do? There is no horse / How to cope?/ Hey Franz, you Austrian/ You will do instead of a horse/ But hurry up so we don't again/ have another Augustus situation./ Cracking his whip, swish, swish/ he forces the old man into a gallop/ But behind Vassya at great speed/ comes someone smartly trotting like a Turk/ He who has for this black day/ Stored another horse "in exchange". Should the first one fall and smash his nose/ Vassya will jump on the next one/ But that wonderful hero/ He too will collapse/ somewhere on the way/ then may God give strength to his legs/ For the circle will start anew and he will again be without his cattle.

E.396-1988