This rare anthropomorphic map by Imre Varga gives a Hungarian perspective of the various powers at the outset of World War I. Human caricatures represent each country. The large, uncivilized Russian (with legions of Russian soldiers behind him) appears as the true aggressor here, against whom most other countries actively fight, including the Turkish, Hungarian, and Austrian soldiers. The Hungarian soldier is depicted as particularly brave, charging the Russian with a bayonet astride a horse. The fact that Hungary is depicted as separate from Austria makes this map quite unique compared with other serio-comic maps of the period. The German Empire is divided into two characters, a crocodile biting the Russian, and a soldier fighting France, who appears to have already surrendered, with a German cannon pointed at England. England and Wales are depicted as Churchill, finely dressed and smoking a cigar. Churchill oversaw Britain's naval and aerial efforts at the time as First Lord of the Admiralty, but was demoted in 1915 due to pressure from the Conservative Party. Ireland is a sailor trying to escape to the west, away from the war, while Italy is a lounging lady, oblivious to the fighting. A fascinating piece.

References:

Condition: A

A boldly colored example on a bright sheet with a bit of marginal soiling. Previously folded in quadrants, now flattened and professionally backed in thin, archival tissue.