Two figures sit despondently on a cracked stone bearing the inscription of the failed League of Nations as the foundation for peace. The cracked stone represents the broken foundation and failure of the League to maintain order and prevent another war. Published on November 11, 1938, the cartoon reflects the despair and foreboding of another war following the Munich Agreement earlier that year.

1. Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

2. What is the message of this cartoon?

3. To do this question, you
need first to borrow two
concepts from English:
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
Denotation
(what you see)
Connotation
(how it affects its audience)
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

4. Denotation
Two figures – a ‘toff’ and an
ordinary man – sit despondently
on a stone.
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
Connotation
The two figures represent the
whole of society.
Meaning
The people of Britain have
reason to be depressed.
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

5. Denotation
In the background there is a
landscape of war.
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
Connotation
Memories of World War One, but
also a reminder of the
rearmament taking place in 1938.
Meaning
War is coming – that is the
reason to be depressed.
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

6. Denotation
A stone - which had been intended
to become the foundation stone of a
building – is cracked.
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
Connotation
A cracked foundation stone is
useless.
Meaning
The League – meant to be
the foundation of a new world
order of peace – is broken
and useless.
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

7. Denotation
The stone looks like a tombstone
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
Connotation
A tombstone represents death
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
Meaning
The League is dead – and with
it people’s hopes of peace.
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

8. Finally, always remember
to look at:
Origin
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
(who drew it)
Date
(when it was published)
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

9. Origin
The British cartoonist David
Low.
Details
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
Low supported the League, hated
Hitler, and wanted the League to
stand up to him.
Significance
This cartoon echoes the
despair of people like Low at
the failure of the League.
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.

10. Date
11 November 1938.
Details
Two figures sit on a cracked stone,
which carries the inscription:
'League of Nations. Foundation stone
of a New Order, laid 1918. Peace hath
her sacrifices.'
Remembrance Day, just after the
disastrous Munich Conference.
Significance
Remembrance Day this year is
not about remembering the last
war and trying to prevent
another – it is about the
foreboding of another war
coming.
This cartoon by the British
cartoonist David Low appeared in
the Evening Standard newspaper,
11 November 1938.