Femininity in Propaganda: "Destroy This Mad Brute

Destroy This Mad Brute—Enlist (1917) by H.R. Hopps was an American Recruitment poster, which attacked Germany for their brutal actions in the Rape of Belgium. In 1904, two European countries, France and Britain, signed the Entente Cordiale. This agreement stated that the countries were to be allies against their common enemy, Germany. Thus, the German military felt threatened and vulnerable to not only these two nations, but also to Russia, who was discussing joining the Entente Cordiale. The Germans decided to take action. On December 1905, Alfred von Schlieffen, The Army Chief of Staff, established Germany’s military strategy—the Schlieffen Plan. The purpose of this plan was to protect Germany by forcing France to surrender. If carried out efficiently, the plan would eliminate the threat of attack from France, Russia, and Britain. Schlieffen's plan entailed marching through Belgium, Holland, and Luxembourg to invade France (Spartacus Educational). Furthermore, the German chancellor, Theobald von Bethmann Hollweg, disregarded the Treaty of London. This treaty called for Germany and other European nations to respect France's neutrality. Therefore, the German government allowed their military to execute the Schlieffen plan on August 2, 1914. The march through Belgium, which became know as the Rape of Belgium, was a major event in World War I. The rape took place in central and eastern Belgium and was a result of German soldiers' fear of Belgium guerrilla fighters (Antwerp Tourist Guide). Innocent women and children were victims to the catastrophe. The Rape of Belgium added to the tension and drama of World War I, an event that would lead to new propaganda.

In this painting, two objects criticize German society. First, the word 'Kultur' on the bloody club suggests that Germans are uncivilized. Secondly, the gorilla is wearing a distinctive German Military spiked helmet with 'militarism' on the front to degrade German government methods (Haverford). Holding these objects is a gorilla, who represents a German soldier. The German is depicted as a gorilla because Americans believed soldiers' actions throughout the Rape of Belgium were astonishing and horrific, making the soldiers barbaric. In the arms of the 'mad brute' is a maiden. She is displayed as feminine through her apparel and hair, submission to the abuse of others, and the fact that she is helpless. Lastly, France is demolished in the background; this portrays the destruction of German troops and their potential threat to America (Haverford).

In Destroy This Mad Brute—Enlist one can see that the actions of the Germans against women is related to woman’s association with the land. Nations are typically known as “she”. By taking over women, the soldiers were taking over the land of America. In addition, they conquered the people genetically, by making the women have children who were part foreign. Consequently, American men who see the propaganda will want to protect their people against other nations in the war, specifically from putting women’s virginity at risk, violating their purity, and taking over their land. Norman Rockwell's Rosie the Riveter and Orlando Valenzuela's Miliciana de Waswalito are opposite of Hopps views; however, this poster relates to Fred Spear’s Enlist because the two pieces display women as helpless, weak victims of war.

“Destroy This Mad Brute” Digital Desk. 10 May 2011 <http://www.digitaldesk.org/projects/secondary/propaganda/destroy_brute.html>.

“Schlieffen Plan” Spartacus Educational 10 April 2011

<http://www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk/FWWschlieffenP.htm>.

“Belgium in World War I” Antwerp Tourist Guide. 10 April 2011

<http://www.antwerp-tourist-guide.com/world-war-one.html>.

“Recruitment and War Bond Posters” Haverford.edu 10 May 2011

<http://www.haverford.edu/engl/english354/GreatWar/Mainpages/recruit.html>.

Introduction

Artists use propaganda to influence viewers’ feelings and beliefs on a specific subject. In this blog, you will discover and learn about the theme—femininity of women expressed through propaganda during times of war. Within this category, women are represented in two different ways: some artists have a feminine approach and value the traditional duties of women in war, whereas other images exhibit women as powerful and capable of taking over a man’s profession. Rosie the Riveter by Norman Rockwell, Miliciana de Waswalito by Orlando Valenzuela, Enlist by Fred Spear, Destroy this Mad Brute—Enlist by H.R. Hopps, and Keep These Hands Off by Gordon K. Odwell all follow the relative norms of society to convey the artists' view on women's femininity.

Link to "Female Roles Through Art"

Camille’s blog “Female Roles Through Art” explores the progression of female roles in society from the washhouse to the work force. The blog fights the typical stereotypes on women and shows the strength and power of the female gender. This blog relates to “Femininity in Propaganda” because femininity is relative to women’s roles.

The first artwork in the her blog, The Washer Women by Abram Efimovich Arkhipov, was painted in 1899 and therefore the women in the image were portrayed as feminine. The women are working in the washhouse, as they are only allowed to do traditional work. This is similar to Enlist by Fred Spear and Keep These Hands Off by Gordon K. Odell, two paintings whose primary focus is traditional work; however, instead of women working in the washhouse, the women are caring for children. Nevertheless, women’s roles of the time shaped the artists idea of how “feminine” a woman should be. The image Rosie the Riveter (1943) by Norman Rockwell was used in both blogs. In “Female Roles Through Art” the artwork is used to show the increase in women’s power; in other words, women are not seen as solely feminine, but are now accepted in a man’s profession. Women’s roles directly affect how feminine women will be viewed by artists and the outside world.

Link to "Women and Children in War"

This blog is very similar to Joy’s blog "Women and Children in War." "Women and Children in War" focuses on the people behind the scenes of war, those who are generally overseen due to their “inability” to fight: women and children. The artworks concentrate on the emotions of women and children, as well as a mother’s obligation to her children when the husband is at war. In "Femininity in War", three pieces also focus on a women’s duty to her children. The two blogs center on this single tradition of women—caring for children.

Enlist by Fred Spear is connected to a work in Joy’s blog—The Mothers by Kathe Kollwitz. In The Mothers, several women huddle together to protect their children from attack. The children remain underneath the protection of their mothers. This is related to the mother in Enlist, who cling to her young baby as they gradually sink to their death. The women only think about the safety of their children. The artists of both works show that despite the current war, the perpetual duty of a mother to her child still exists. The themes of the both blogs highlight the life of a mother, her will to do her work instead of joining the war and its continuous existence in times of war.

Femininity in Propaganda

"Destroy This Mad Brute—Enlist" by H.R. Hopps

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