“They Had to Give in to German Power”: Images of Russia and France in the “Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung” in 1914

The article examines the mechanisms through which images of France and Russia were formed in the Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung, the most widely circulated illustrated periodical in the German Empire at the beginning of the First World War. It analyzes how images of states opposing the German Empire were constructed during the initial stage of the war through both textual and visual materials, including photographs and cartoons. The analysis identifies stereotypes and prejudices prevalent in German society and reinforced by the press. It also provides a comparative analysis of Germany’s two “enemies” within the same media space. The research focuses on the initial stage of the war, when German propaganda actively sought to legitimize the conflict and create images justifying aggression. The article examines how German historical memory was mobilized through a return to the theme of the Franco-Prussian War and also addresses the use of caricatures and anecdotes to construct comic representations of the enemy. A comparative analysis of the images of Russia and France in visual and textual discourse reveals marked differences. Whereas the image of Russia relied primarily on cultural stereotypes, the confrontation with France was presented as part of a historical narrative The Berliner Illustrierte Zeitung depicted France and Russia as weak, albeit treacherous, opponents, thereby portraying the German army as efficient, disciplined, and technologically superior to its enemies. Taken together, these representations created an image of inevitable victory, reinforced in part by memories of German military successes in earlier wars.