Der ist schuld – Poster by Robert L. Leonard, 1914–1918

Robert L. Leonard designed this German propaganda poster during the First World War. The Hoover Institution dates it to 1914–1918, names Dr. Selle & Co. AG of Berlin as publisher and records dimensions of about 73.7 × 58.4 cm. The title “Der ist schuld” means “He is to blame.” Its image and text formed part of anti-British propaganda intended to strengthen German home-front endurance during the war and blockade.

The caricature depicts John Bull, the personification of the United Kingdom, coloured yellow, with a pipe in his mouth and his hands in his pockets, accompanied by a bulldog. The text lists fighting and bloodshed, shortages, the need to conserve coal and light, food cards and the inability to return to peaceful work. It then identifies England as the “main enemy” and urges Germans to remain united and strong in pursuit of victory. These accusations are presented here as the poster’s historical propaganda message, not as a factual account of responsibility for the war.