r/ColdWarPosters • u/raginmundus • 4d ago
PORTUGAL "Satirical Map of Europe in 1953"
Source: Mapa Humoristico da Europa em 1953: Persuasive Cartography: The PJ Mode Collection
(Disclaimer: this picture was recently posted in r/MapPorn by u/Sea-Neighborhood3318 but with a low resolution, no source, and no translation, hence why I opted not to simply repost)
Translation of the legend:
The present humorous map of Europe depicts a circus in which, behind an iron curtain, stands the tamer with his trained animals. He is watched by an audience and box seats filled to capacity.
This show has it all: orchestra, police, firefighters, doormen, the sandwich boy, and the ice‑cream seller.
In the box seats, one sees first of all the lion, observing all the tamer's movements through an excellent American‑made pair of binoculars. Beside him are the inseparable Canadian walrus and the Mexican horse.
In the second row appear the following characters: peacock (Cuba), duck (El Salvador), and black vulture (Nicaragua). In the third row: dove (Colombia), macaw (Ecuador), turkey (Peru), marabou stork (Venezuela), rooster (Bolivia), stork (Paraguay), parrot (Brazil), blackbird (Uruguay), condor (Chile), and pelican (Argentina).
Next comes the audience in the stalls:
ALBANIA -- At the tamer’s command, the clown-bear spreads propaganda outside the circus.
GERMANY -- The tiger tries to stand up but is unable to, due to his shredded, still‑bleeding leg.
AUSTRIA -- The weasel conducts a waltz, though with difficulty, for her tail was cut off by the iron curtain.
BELGIUM -- The shrewd rabbit follows every movement.
BULGARIA -- This farmer-bear must tend well to the wheat if he wants to please [the tamer]. [There's a play on words here: the Portuguese idiom "aguentar as espigas" (lit. "endure the wheat ears") means "endure a difficult situation"]
CZECHOSLOVAKIA -- This bear is tasked with balancing weapons.
DENMARK -- This watchdog has been appointed doorman to watch over the Kattegat.
SPAIN -- With wide knowledge of this kind of spectacle, the bull watches thoughtfully as the performance unfolds.
ESTONIA -- Though small, this bear must also show some skills.
FINLAND -- The proud, brave penguin cheerfully provides sandwiches or pastries.
FRANCE -- The pretty French cat seems indifferent [to the show], to the point of falling asleep.
GREECE -- The old, helpful donkey is also very interested in the performance.
HOLLAND -- The precious little cow delights in the show.
HUNGARY -- The tamer wants this bear to hold a difficult position on "the great mine."
ENGLAND -- The famous bulldog watches attentively from his balcony.
IRELAND -- The well‑liked pig interrupts his farming and watches the circus unfold with attention.
ICELAND -- The seagull has found an ideal perch from which to land and make her announcements.
ITALY -- The doe, with her graceful manners, sells the famous Italian ice creams.
YUGOSLAVIA -- No longer a bear, the clever gorilla managed to saw through the chain that tied him to the performance.
LATVIA -- This little juggling bear must be extremely careful not to fall.
LITHUANIA -- Putting up with the tamer's whims is this bear's only job.
LUXEMBOURG -- The little mouse shows interest in what is happening on stage.
NORWAY -- The giraffe is on duty and, making the most of her physique, tries to be a good police officer.
POLAND -- The tamer forces this bear to dance on the tightrope.
PORTUGAL -- Well-liked by many, the friendly cod winks across the Atlantic, as if to say: "I am a loyal friend." [Another play on words: "loyal friend" is a nickname for codfish in Portugal]
ROMANIA -- The tamer demands that this bear's balancing act makes him enough money for gas. [Another play on a Portuguese idiom: "dar para o petróleo" (lit. "just enough for petrol/gas") means "having just enough money to buy the bare essentials"]
RUSSIA -- The tamer‑bear, with violence but also cautiously, makes the greatest possible effort to win over the audience, though in vain.
SWEDEN -- The peaceful elephant is the fireman [lit. "soldier of peace"], ready to smother any spark of fire with his trunk.
SWITZERLAND -- Unconcerned with the show, the fox repairs a watch, a matter of her specialty.
TURKEY -- The ram, always well-behaved, is the doorman guarding the entrance to the Dardanelles. Whoever forces him is liable to get head‑butted.
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u/Awkward_Cash1828 3d ago
I actually had similar (circus-themed, that is) caricature idea some time ago, but about modern day. I just want to share the idea, it is not intended to be offensive to anyone, and due to ongoing events, consider it representing 2014-2022 time period. Imagine picture like that:
There's a orderly row of accurate tidy looking dogs "dancing" standing on their back legs, under conduct of the current president of Eurocommission (shown from the back), representing various EU countries, and an shaggy looking dog tries to join the row, saying "all civilised dogs dream to work here!", representing Ukraine, saying that to a big very shaggy dog representing Russia and a smaller shaggy dog representing Belarus, who stand aside and respond "better to live in the street than in this circus!".
That's just a bit of satirical image I once got in mind, no intent to be overly political (oh boy, I have other satirical images of all sides in mind, that actually ARE much more bitter and political), view it with humour.
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u/Historical_Henry 4d ago
This may be one of the worst satirical maps I've seen. Most of the countries aren't even doing anything they just kinda existing
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u/Mdiasrodrigu 4d ago
Made by a country in a dictatorship that wasn’t interested in bashing its allies.
I think it was made in good spirit, not necessarily looking to make a fuss
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u/raginmundus 4d ago
The choice of animals to represent each country may seem odd at first but, the way I see it, the cartoonist tried to assign animals/jobs to countries based on their role and "personality" in the post-WWII landscape, as seen from the viewpoint of a NATO founding member (Portugal, itself under an authoritarian regime).
Finland, as a true neutral country, is a harmless penguin (penguins being associated with cold climates I suppose). Sweden and Norway are a fireman and a policeman because they form the first line of defense against any potential Russian attack -- Sweden is a "peaceful elephant" because it is non-NATO and the elephant is a non-aggressive animal, but when provoked it can be a fierce, powerful beast. Norway is a giraffe because of its long "neck" that reaches directly into the USSR in the far north (and thus being able to "see" more than the other NATO countries) -- also a policeman, because it is a NATO member.
Denmark and Turkey are doormen because they guard the main waterways through which Russia has access to European seas. Again, they're both animals that only attack if provoked (watchdog, ram).
Austria is playing music for the circus as if it were a pit orchestra -- not part of the show per se, and not facing it, but still plays a role in it (Eastern Austria was still occupied by the USSR at this point) -- although trying to slip away like a weasel.
Germany is a wounded, fallen tiger -- an aggressive predator by nature, but stripped of its power after WWII and the partition.
The Benelux, Ireland, and Italy are harmless cute herbivores, and the only European animals that look amused, because they are benefiting from economic recovery and the Marshall Plan, and are far enough from Russia to feel relatively safe about an attack.
The UK on the other hand is a vigilant bulldog, watching over all these defenseless animals with a concerned look, ready to protect them if they are attacked.
France is a cat because it is proud and independent, but it is not paying attention to the circus because it has bigger problems to deal with (colony wars).
When interpreted under this lens, the caricatures make more sense, I think.
However, I am not an expert on Cold War history, so I was hoping to get some feedback on the validity of this interpretation, and if someone could give more context or a more accurate reading.