By: Jon Simmons
This is a British political cartoon by Leslie Gilbert Illingworth. He worked as a cartoonist for the paper the Daily Post in the 1950’s and 1960’s. The cartoon depicts the leader of the Soviet Union, Nikita Khrushchev and the president of the United States, John F. Kennedy, arm wrestling. This cartoon was posted in October 1962, right after the Cuban Missile Crisis ended, much to the relief of people worldwide. This was created to show the tensions that still exist between the Soviet Union and the United States, and how fragile the relationship between the two world powers really was.
The two world leaders are pictured arm wrestling at a table. But, instead of chairs or benches, they are sitting on atomic weapons. They both have the letter H on them, insinuating they are hydrogen bombs, or H-bombs. Connected to each atomic weapon is a wire that leads to a button on the table. Both Khrushchev and Kennedy have their finger poised right over the button, centimeters away from pressing it. They are looking intently into each others eyes and sweat is flying off Khrushchev. This creates a tense atmosphere and the belief that this struggle has been going on for an extended period of time. This arm wrestling match is a metaphor for the crisis that just occurred. Although the two sides had reached a deal, tensions were still incredibly high between the two countries. This period was considered the closest the United States and Soviet Union ever came to exchanging fire. The arm wrestling math shows the delicate relationship that existed. In the blink of an eye, an arm wrestling match could be finished, as could the escalation of war. Also, in the picture, Kennedy is shown composed and menacing, sticking his face into Khrushchev’s. On the other hand, Khrushchev is seen perspiring profusely, and slouching away from Kennedy. At the end of the Cuban Missile Crisis, it was seen that Khrushchev lost the struggle and appeared weak, and this cartoon reinforces the public opinion. Kennedy’s button to the atomic bomb is also in the forefront of the picture, while Khrushchev’s is on the far side of the table, obstructed by the two arms. This suggests that Kennedy was in a better position at this time and that he was controlling the conflict. Nevertheless, the message still remains that at any time, the roles could be switched and Kennedy will be the one cowering and sweating. In lecture, we have just started talking about the Cold War, and this is one of the most recognizable events of the dispute. Once allies, the USSR and USA quickly became bitter enemies. I also think this relates to events happening today, with Russia invading Ukraine and taking Crimea. It shows that the wounds formed from four decades of conflict haven’t quite healed yet and that while there are atomic weapons, people may never feel safe.
I found this resource on the University of Kent’s website. The University of Kent is a British university, with an extensive British cartoon archive. The domain is .uk, meaning it originates from the United Kingdom. I do not know if they have an equivalent to our .edu, but it is not displayed, although this is obviously a university’s website. Another good sign is that there are no advertisements, meaning this website was not meant to make a profit. The biography of the artist of the cartoon has it’s information cited, a good sign, showing the information was not biased or fabricated. There are also several options to contact the archive, with a telephone, e-mail address and regular address provided. Plugging the address into Google Maps, it shows a very academic looking library. Overall, I would say that this is a reliable source with accurate information. While the purpose of this website is to document British history, this particular cartoon spans audiences of any country and could be understood by anyone not from the United Kingdom.
http://www.cartoons.ac.uk/artists/leslie-gilbertillingworth/biography
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