The Goose-Step
Encyclopedia
The Goose-Step is a political cartoon by E. H. Shepard
, drawn in 1936.
It shows an armed goose
marching down a road. There is a swastika
on its chest, and it is stepping on a torn Locarno Pact. The Goose holds an olive branch
in its beak with a label reading "Pax Germanica
" attached to it. There are many National Socialist flags sticking out of the buildings it is walking past. Below the drawing of the goose there is a short poem, which parodies the nursery rhyme
Goosey Goosey Gander
:
This cartoon shows that the remilitarisation of Rhineland was the first step Hitler took towards abolishing the Treaty of Versailles. At the beginning Hitler claimed that he was going only for Rhineland "only through the Rhineland" but step by step he started conquering more land and demanded more. The weapons strapped to the Goose represent the rearmament rally which rapidly increased Germany's armed forces and there is a map of Europe strapped to his waist, showing his territorial ambitions. The torn "Locarno" paper which the goose stands on is representing the Locarno Treaty which was made to respect borders and stay within your own. He is clearly stepping all over it and therefore proving his desire for greater land for Germany. The olive branch in the gooses' beak has a label attached saying "Pax Germanica" (in reference to Pax Romana
).
Also, the olive branch is a symbol of peace in Western culture.
E. H. Shepard
Ernest Howard Shepard was an English artist and book illustrator. He was known especially for his human-like animals in illustrations for The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame and Winnie-the-Pooh by A. A. Milne....
, drawn in 1936.
It shows an armed goose
Goose
The word goose is the English name for a group of waterfowl, belonging to the family Anatidae. This family also includes swans, most of which are larger than true geese, and ducks, which are smaller....
marching down a road. There is a swastika
Swastika
The swastika is an equilateral cross with its arms bent at right angles, in either right-facing form in counter clock motion or its mirrored left-facing form in clock motion. Earliest archaeological evidence of swastika-shaped ornaments dates back to the Indus Valley Civilization of Ancient...
on its chest, and it is stepping on a torn Locarno Pact. The Goose holds an olive branch
Olive branch
The olive branch in Western culture, derived from the customs of Ancient Greece, symbolizes peace or victory and was worn by brides.-Ancient Greece and Rome:...
in its beak with a label reading "Pax Germanica
Pax Germanica
Pax Germanica, Latin for "German peace", described the peace in Germany after its foundation in 1871 by Otto von Bismarck, the Unification of Germany; it coincided with the Pax Britannica. Bismarck's alliance system was designed to preserve the new, powerful Germany by ensuring a European peace and...
" attached to it. There are many National Socialist flags sticking out of the buildings it is walking past. Below the drawing of the goose there is a short poem, which parodies the nursery rhyme
Nursery rhyme
The term nursery rhyme is used for "traditional" poems for young children in Britain and many other countries, but usage only dates from the 19th century and in North America the older ‘Mother Goose Rhymes’ is still often used.-Lullabies:...
Goosey Goosey Gander
Goosey Goosey Gander
"Goosey Goosey Gander" is an English language Nursery Rhyme. It has a Roud Folk Song Index number of 6488.-Lyrics:The most common modern version of the lyrics is:Goosey goosey gander,Whither shall I wander?Upstairs and downstairs...
:
- The Goose-Step
- "Goosey Goosey Gander.
- Whither dost thou wander?"
- "Only through the RhinelandRhinelandHistorically, the Rhinelands refers to a loosely-defined region embracing the land on either bank of the River Rhine in central Europe....
— - Pray excuse my Blunder!"
This cartoon shows that the remilitarisation of Rhineland was the first step Hitler took towards abolishing the Treaty of Versailles. At the beginning Hitler claimed that he was going only for Rhineland "only through the Rhineland" but step by step he started conquering more land and demanded more. The weapons strapped to the Goose represent the rearmament rally which rapidly increased Germany's armed forces and there is a map of Europe strapped to his waist, showing his territorial ambitions. The torn "Locarno" paper which the goose stands on is representing the Locarno Treaty which was made to respect borders and stay within your own. He is clearly stepping all over it and therefore proving his desire for greater land for Germany. The olive branch in the gooses' beak has a label attached saying "Pax Germanica" (in reference to Pax Romana
Pax Romana
Pax Romana was the long period of relative peace and minimal expansion by military force experienced by the Roman Empire in the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. Since it was established by Caesar Augustus it is sometimes called Pax Augusta...
).
Also, the olive branch is a symbol of peace in Western culture.