We are neighbours(?) 

• 1940 
• Milians, Max P. 
• Drawing 
• Historical item 

5716609

Drawings / paintings

We are neighbours(?)

36 x 28.5 cm

1940

Original editorial cartoon on card in pen, ink and crayon, 1940, syndicated to a number of newspapers, shows a heavily armed Red Army soldier from the ‘U.S.S.R.’ confronting ‘valiant Finland’. In November 1939 (three months after the outbreak of World War Two) the Soviet Union invaded Finland, the so-called Winter War. World opinion largely supported the Finnish cause, and the Soviet aggression was generally deemed unjustified. The League of Nations deemed the attack illegal and expelled the Soviet Union from the League on 14 December 1939. There was ‘universal sympathy’ for Finland and ‘world contempt’ for the Soviets. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the Finnish forces repelled Soviet attacks for several months, much longer than the Soviets expected. Soviet losses were heavy, and the country's international reputation suffered, giving rise to the ‘scornful fighting reputation’ (the poor performance of the Red Army was due mainly to the decimation of its office corps in Stalin’s recent purges). Since the War had not yet directly affected France, the UK or the United States, the Winter War was the only real fighting in Europe at that time and thus held major world interest. Several foreign organizations sent material aid, and many countries granted credit and military materiel to Finland, but military aid in the form of armed intervention was not forthcoming and the Finnish forces were eventually overwhelmed by the Soviets. Card size 36 x 28.5 cm (14 x 11 inch), image size 29 x 26.5 cm, signed lower right with nine zeros as underline. Caption (illegible) in pencil in upper border, some paper remnants also slightly affecting image, otherwise in good condition. Verso: “One arsenal of democracy’s by-products” Original editorial cartoon on card in pen, ink and crayon, 1940, syndicated to a number of newspapers, shows ‘free public forums’ bursting with debate on whether or not the United States should become involved in the war in Europe. Minority opinion favoured entering the war on the Allied side. The majority who were non-interventionist were concerned that, by supplying arms and other materials to Britain in particular, the United States (the ‘arsenal of democracy’) was moving steadily closer to military involvement in the war. ‘Warmonger’, ‘defeatist’ ‘appeaser’ were some of the ‘demagogic catchwords’ the two sides hurled at each other. Although in favour of entering the war on the British side, President Roosevelt was unable to do so until Germany declared war on the United States in December 1941 following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Image size 31 x 26 cm, signed lower right with nine zeros as underline. Caption in pencil in upper border, in good condition.