George Boyle
How Long Will the Honeymoon Last? is a satirical cartoon by Clifford Kennedy Berryman, published on October 9, 1939, in the Washington Star. The cartoon refers to the Nazi-Soviet Pact, also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, signed in August 1939 between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. It highlights the irony of two ideologically opposed countries agreeing to a non-aggression treaty, given Hitler's intentions to annex parts of the Soviet Union. The cartoon has been digitized and is available for viewing at the Library of Congress, offering a glimpse into the political commentary of the time leading up to World War II.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Wonder How Long the Honeymoon Will Last? |
| Creator | Clifford Kennedy Berryman |
| Date | 9 October 1939 |
| Type | Cartoon (still image) |
| Genre | Humorous image |
| Subjects | Politics and government, communism and art, Hitler, Stalin |
| Publisher | Washington Star |
| Digitised | Yes |
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Nazi-Soviet Pact
The Nazi-Soviet Pact, also known as the Hitler-Stalin Pact or the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was a non-aggression treaty signed between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union on August 23, 1939. The pact was a surprising move, as just a year earlier, Hitler had identified the Soviet Union as his main enemy, characterised by Jewish Communists and subhuman Slavs.
The pact was negotiated by German Foreign Minister Joachim von Ribbentrop and his Soviet counterpart, Vyacheslav Molotov, who had been appointed by Joseph Stalin after the dismissal of Maksim Litvinov, a Jewish advocate of collective security. The agreement publicly stated that neither country would engage in aggression against the other for ten years, with an automatic five-year extension unless cancelled by either party. It also included economic agreements and a secret clause, which was that both countries would support each other in a war against Poland, allowing Hitler to invade Poland without fear of Soviet intervention. This secret clause was crucial, as it gave Hitler the freedom to focus on the forces of France and Britain in the west, while also gaining territory in the east without opposition from the Soviet Union.
The pact effectively divided Eastern Europe into German and Soviet spheres of influence. On September 29, the dividing line between German and Soviet territory was changed in Germany's favour, moving eastward to the Bug River, which became the new Polish-Soviet frontier. The Soviet Union then sought to strengthen its sphere of influence by attacking Finland and annexing the Baltic republics of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia, which were organised as Soviet republics by August 1940.
The Nazi-Soviet Pact came to an end on June 22, 1941, when Nazi Germany, after invading much of Western and Central Europe, attacked the Soviet Union without warning in Operation Barbarossa, despite the pact's intended duration of 10-15 years.
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Hitler and Stalin
The cartoon "How long will the honeymoon last?" was created by Clifford Kennedy Berryman and published in the Washington Star on October 9, 1939. The cartoon depicts Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin as a bride and groom, personifying Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, respectively, after the signing of the Nazi-Soviet Pact or Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact in August 1939. The cartoon reflects the skepticism about the longevity of the treaty and serves as a form of propaganda against hypocrisy rather than the pact itself.
The cartoon's title, "How long will the honeymoon last?" is a metaphorical reference to the Nazi-Soviet Pact, suggesting that the agreement between Hitler and Stalin might be short-lived, just like a honeymoon phase. The choice to depict Stalin as the bride and Hitler as the groom adds a layer of intrigue to the cartoon. This representation of the leaders of Germany and the Soviet Union as a married couple conveys a sense of temporary unity, with the underlying tension of their adversarial relationship.
The historical context of the cartoon is crucial to understanding its message. The Nazi-Soviet Pact, also known as the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact, was signed in August 1939, just before the outbreak of World War II. The pact was a treaty of non-aggression between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, agreeing not to attack each other and establishing spheres of influence in Eastern Europe. However, the pact was short-lived as Hitler invaded the Soviet Union in June 1941, marking a significant shift in the course of the war.
Berryman's cartoon captures the skepticism and uncertainty surrounding the Nazi-Soviet Pact at the time. By asking "How long will the honeymoon last?", Berryman implies that the treaty might only temporarily halt the hostilities between the two dictators and their nations. The cartoon serves as a reminder that even during periods of apparent harmony or cooperation, underlying tensions and conflicting interests can exist.
Furthermore, the cartoon also highlights the propaganda aspect of the Nazi-Soviet Pact. Both Hitler and Stalin were skilled manipulators of public opinion, and the pact itself was a form of propaganda, presenting a false sense of harmony to their respective nations. Berryman's cartoon can be interpreted as a critical commentary on the hypocrisy and deception inherent in the political theater of the time.
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Political cartoon
The political cartoon "Wonder How Long the Honeymoon Will Last?" was created by Clifford Kennedy Berryman in 1939. Berryman, a prolific cartoonist, made thousands of political cartoons for The Washington Post and other publications. This particular cartoon refers to the Nazi-Soviet Pact, also known as the Nazi-Soviet nonaggression pact, signed in August 1939. The pact was a surprising treaty between two ideologically opposed countries, with Nazi Germany's goal of eliminating communist states and annexing Ukraine, Belarus, and the Baltic states. The cartoon humorously depicts the question of how long the peace between these two powers would last, with Hitler entering through the back door and Mrs. Stalin expressing disapproval.
The context of the cartoon is essential to understanding its message. The Red Army was undergoing modernization, mechanization, and recovery from leadership purges. The Soviet Union also wanted to push its borders away from Moscow and buy time to prepare for an inevitable war with Germany. The Nazi-Soviet Pact provided a few years of guaranteed peace, allowing the Soviets to establish buffer states and get their "shit together," as one commentator put it. However, Hitler underestimated the Soviets' resolve and the severity of the conditions during Operation Barbarossa, which began in June 1941.
The cartoon is also a commentary on the hypocrisy of European countries, who had supported the growth of Nazi power from 1933 to 1938 through various pacts and agreements. The Munich Pact of 1938, for example, allowed the annexation of Czechoslovakia. The Nazi-Soviet Pact of 1939 shocked international onlookers, as it went against the grain of the prevailing support for Nazi Germany by European countries. The cartoon, therefore, satirizes the idea of a "honeymoon period" between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, suggesting that it will not last long given their conflicting interests and the complex geopolitical situation in Europe at the time.
"Wonder How Long the Honeymoon Will Last?" is a thought-provoking cartoon that captures the tensions and complexities of the pre-World War II era. By invoking the idea of a honeymoon, Berryman highlights the temporary nature of the peace between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union, foreshadowing the eventual breakdown of their pact and the devastating conflict to come. The cartoon is a reminder of the fragile nature of political alliances and the often-competing interests of nations.
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Clifford K. Berryman
Clifford Kennedy Berryman, born on April 2, 1869, in Clifton, Kentucky, was a Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist. He worked for The Washington Star newspaper from 1907 until his death in 1949. Prior to that, he was a cartoonist for The Washington Post from 1891 to 1907.
Berryman came from an artistic family; his father, James Thomas Berryman, often entertained friends and neighbours with drawings of "hillbillies" from their hometown, a talent that Clifford inherited. Berryman's career began in Washington, D.C., when he was appointed draftsman to the United States Patent Office, serving from 1886 to 1891. During this time, he submitted sketches to The Washington Post and, in 1891, became an understudy of political cartoonist George Y. Coffin at the same publication. When Coffin died in 1896, Berryman took over as the newspaper's cartoonist.
As a political cartoonist, Berryman satirized both Democrats and Republicans, covering a wide range of topics, including food prices, labour strikes, elections, and the atomic bomb. He is particularly known for his cartoons "Remember the Maine," published during the Spanish-American War in 1898, and "Drawing the Line in Mississippi," published in 1902, which depicted President Theodore Roosevelt showing compassion for a small bear cub. The latter inspired the creation of the teddy bear by a New York store owner.
Berryman's cartoon "Wonder How Long the Honeymoon Will Last?" published in 1939, was a satirical comment on the announcement of the Nazi-Soviet Nonaggression Pact. It depicted Hitler and Stalin together, questioning how long the peace between the two leaders would last. This cartoon is held at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., along with many of his other works.
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1939
The cartoon "Wonder How Long the Honeymoon Will Last?" was created by Clifford Kennedy Berryman in 1939. It was published on October 9, 1939, in the Washington Star. The satirical cartoon commented on the announcement of the Nazi-Soviet Non-Aggression Pact, also known as the Nazi-Soviet Pact, signed in August 1939.
The cartoon depicted Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin together, alluding to the unexpected alliance between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union. The caption "Wonder How Long the Honeymoon Will Last?" questioned the longevity of this pact between two ideologically opposed regimes. The cartoon highlighted the strange nature of the treaty, as Fascism was born to counteract the communist revolution, yet the treaty declared a non-aggression agreement between the two powers.
In the context of the time, the cartoon reflected the complex political landscape of Europe in the lead-up to World War II. From 1933 to 1938, European countries had contributed to the rise of Nazi power, and the Munich Pact in 1938 allowed for the annexation of Czechoslovakia with the involvement of the UK, Italy, and France. By 1939, the Soviet Union, anticipating the war, sought to move its borders away from Moscow. However, this non-aggression pact with Nazi Germany caused an uproar among Western nations, who had themselves supported the Nazis' rise to power.
The cartoon, "Wonder How Long the Honeymoon Will Last?" thus captured the skepticism and uncertainty surrounding the Nazi-Soviet Pact, suggesting that the alliance between these two seemingly incompatible ideologies might not last in the long term.
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Frequently asked questions
The cartoon was created by Clifford K. Berryman in 1939, referring to the Nazi-Soviet Pact signed in August 1939.
The cartoon satirically questions the longevity of the Nazi-Soviet Pact, suggesting that the agreement between two ideologically opposed countries may be short-lived. It also highlights the hypocrisy of European countries, including the UK, Italy, and France, in their dealings with Nazi Germany prior to the pact.
The cartoon is available for viewing in the Library of Congress, both in digitized form and as the original drawing. It can also be found on websites like Reddit and Digital Pitt.
