By: Sophia Tempanaro
The Seed of Peace
Hitler was a man of power, and as all men of power do, he thought highly of himself and suggested everyone else did too. One of Hitler’s favorite ways to view himself was as a man of peace. Being a peacemaker was one of Hitler’s main topics in his propaganda, and the cartoon “The seed of peace, not dragon's teeth” best exemplifies Hitler being a peacemaker (Welch). It meets all the credentials a peacemaker like Hitler would need to sell his act.
The cartoon shows Hitler throwing seeds onto a field, which symbolizes him being a “sower” of peace. Behind him is an angel blowing trumpet fanfare, and the angel is holding a branch. If someone were to look closely at the branch, they might say it is an olive branch, which symbolizes peace. Although the angel can been seen as a symbol of peace, the trumpet it is blowing can be taken a different way.
In the Bible, Leviticus 23: 23-25 discusses trumpets. In these verses, God is telling Moses the Israelites should have a day of rest, a memorial of trumpets, and a sacrificial offering by fire on the first day of the seventh month (King). The memorial of trumpets and the sacrifice by fire can all be linked to Hitler’s true plan. Instead of representing peace, the trumpet can represent the Jews execution because the Bible says with the memorial of trumpets, so must come the sacrificial offering by fire. While this cartoon shows Hitler being a peacemaker, it also reveals his plan of destruction towards the Jews.