An Italian postcard of the Industry of War. Kaiser Wilhelm of Germany squeezes gold from France and Belgium, filling sacks of money he provides to his ally Emperor Franz Josef of Austria-Hungary who feeds his guns to fire at Tsar Nicholas of Russia who vomits up troops. On the bottom right, Serbia, Montenegro, and Japan join the battle against Germany and Austria-Hungary. To the left, Great Britain flees to its ships. King Victor Emmanuel III of Italy surveys it all, serenely neutral until May 1915. Germany taxed Belgium and occupied France heavily during its occupation, in money, in food and other necessities, and in human life and labor. Austria-Hungary borrowed heavily from Germany to support its war effort. The enormous manpower of Russia was a source of consolation for its allies, and of trepidation to its enemies. Some suspected Great Britain would take its small army and return to its ships, home, and empire.
Le Industrie della GuerraThe Industry of War
"— I have been reading in a financial paper the annual report of an iron and steel company. They express their satisfaction at the opening of branches at Gennevilliers, Milan, and Moscow. And I recall the features of one of its two directors—heavy-jowled, coarse, and common, a positive gastropod, a mere embodiment of greed. It is only natural that such creatures should give their blessing to a nice long war! Yes, yes, those are the people, above all, for whom fifteen hundred young Frenchmen are being killed every day. The only other cause is that conceit of patriotism, which our leaders know how to stimulate."
Entry for May 13, 1917 from the diary of Michel Corday, French senior civil servant. Corday supported peace efforts to end the war, and rails against those who demand a fight to victory at any cost.
The Paris Front: an Unpublished Diary: 1914-1918 by Michel Corday, page 251, copyright © 1934, by E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., publisher: E.P. Dutton & Co., Inc., publication date: 1934
1917-05-13, capitalism, war industry
