Oldal 427 [427]
OCR
424 Dobrinka Parusheva a Frenchman) will not hurt her (ill. 184). Particularly successful, in my opinion, are two small caricatures that appeared as a part of the "Caricature Week" of Bálgaran (issue 33); their author was, again, Rayko Alexiev: “1. They crucified the martyr Hellas like Jesus on Golgotha, and Pharisees pierced her through the heart. 2. And Venizelos, like Pilate, washed his hands and said: “I am clean, I am clean!” The motif of Golgotha aimed at reinforcing the idea of Greek suffering, despite the fact that it was not a very popular idea in Bulgaria at the time. Bulgarian caricaturists shared the general opinion that Greece, as a “small nation,” was torn between the conflicting powers and compared the Greek situation to the popular proverb “Give him an inch and he'll take an ell.” Hating Romania Bulgarian caricaturists may have satirized Venizelos; however, developments have shown that if considered from a long-term perspective, his position was a winning one, even though the dignity of his country and nation was violated. The same was true for Romania, where there was also an argument between Prime Minister Ionel Brätianu and King Carol I, a problem which was more easily overcome than the situation in Greece, because of the ascent to the throne by Ferdinand (Carol’s nephew) in October 1914. This facilitated the Romanian entry into the war on the side of the Entente Powers, even though it only occurred in August 1916. During the month of September 1916, Romanians and their political leaders began to appear frequently on the pages of Balgaran. Each issue provided at least two cartoons dealing with Romania and its people for the reason that Bulgaria and Romania not only belonged to the enemy alliances but were, simultaneously, engaged in military operations against each other in the region of Dobrudzha. The rapid retreat and defeat of the Romanian army was the object of many caricatures and satiric texts illustrating the cowardice of Romanians. This was considered to be one of the main reasons for the Bulgarian victory, together with the brave behavior of the Bulgarian army. For instance, one caricature shows a Romanian who wears what was considered to be his typical costume, a long, embroidered shirt, and carries a bag with a violin, in line with the stereotypical image of the Romanian that often refers to his love of music and entertainment. This person says to his military superior: “Domnule Colonel, there is something heavy in my trousers: is it my heart that went down into my trousers?” (ill. 185). There are similar allusions in other issues during the same month. Cowardliness was a quality that contrasted with the boastfulness perceived to be a typical characteristic of Romanians, whom the Bulgarians regarded as “show offs.” Both features were of interest in the “Caricature Week” of issue no. 36: The first sequence shows the big claims and high expectations of the Romanian who is thumping his chest: “1. 1 am heading to Sofia—shouted Domnul Falimentescu ...”; in the second one, we see his breakdown and bowed head: “2. And he headed to Petrograd.” Romanian political leaders also attracted the satirists. Prime Minister Bratianu
