Simplicissimus, No 6, 10th February 1943

Simplicissimus No. 6, 10th February 1943, 48 Jahrgang. (Years of publication) (The name is a Latin term meaning simplest and is the name given to the protagonist of a 17th-century novel, Der Abenteuerliche Simplicissimuss, in which a naive and innocent boy with the name Siplicissimus, navigates a corrupt 17th-century Europe). Simplicissimus was a long-running political satire magazine published continuously from 1896 through to September 1944, when, as for the majority of print publications in the Third Reich, paper shortages forced it to cease. The magazine was popular and known for its biting satire, attacking bourgeois morality, the church, civil servants, lawyers and the military. During the Weimar period it attacked the politics of the left and the right equally, including numerous Adolf Hitler caricatures, and these continued into 1933 even after the Nazis regime assumed power. However, later in 1933, Simplicissimus underwent Gleichschalting - the process of coordination and Nazification, which forced publications to align with National Socialist ideology and state control. This involved replacing journalists who didn't conform, sacking Jewish or those of non-Aryan descent and ensuring that all content served approved Nazi objectives. Following this Simplicissimus published increasing antisemitic, anti-British and anti-American material which hardened once Germany was at war. Simplicissimus was published from 4th April 1896 to No 37 to the 13th September 1944. The cover picture shows a ghostly image of the 18th-century Prussian King Frederick the Great, with the text caption reading: If I had more than my life, I would sacrifice it for my fatherland'. The image of Frederick the Great is used to evoke patriotic sacrifice during a desperate phase of World War II. The image and accompanying text manipulate historical German sentiment to bolster morale when Germany was suffering significant military losses. 1943 was also a major turning point in World War II with the German army suffering catastrophic defeats, including the Battle of Stalingrad which had ended in surrender on February 2nd, the same week that this issue was printed

18th-century Accompanying Bolster Caption Catastrophic Defeats Desperate Ended Evoke Fatherland Ghostly Long-running Losses Manipulate Morale Sacrifice Significant Simplicissimus Suffering Turning

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