Expo celebrates humor in World War I

A British exhibition explores the role of humor in World War I and how it helped troops cope with the horrors they were facing.

The ‘Enduring War - Grief, Grit and Humor’ exposition, which is set to open this week, includes cartoons, posters, cards and manuscripts of famous war poets.

Co-curator, Dr Matthew Shaw, says that: ‘When we were putting the exhibition together we were struck by the amount of material that uses humor. For the troops it was a way of talking about life on the front line, as well as satirizing their officers and demonizing their enemy.’

Much of the material was often produced close to the Front, sometimes even using presses captured from the enemy. Some of the cards even portray satirical representations of events that happened in the nearest fighting areas.

As to how humor helped soldiers cope with the situation, Dr. Shaw explains: ‘There was something about the military experience that brought out a certain sense of humor. The ever-present threat of death and dismemberment focused the mind.’

Satire and black humor was also used as a propaganda tool: by representing the enemy in shameful situations or portraying enemy soldiers as something harmless, the troops’ morale and courage would increase.

One postcard shows German soldiers as plants, another depicts German emperor Wilhelm II and his son as buffoons.