Abstract:

Kladderadatsch, the humor magazine, which acted as a propaganda tool of the German Empire in line with the German national interests during the First World War, gave wide coverage to the struggle of the German Empire against the Entente Powers, and also humorously discussed the events during the Ottoman Empire's attendance into the First World War. In this study, it was examined how the German humor magazine Kladderadatsch handled the Ottoman Empire's attendance into the First World War. In this way, it was aimed to reveal the representation of the process of Ottoman Empire's attendance into the war for the propaganda of the German Empire, specifically in the humor magazine. In this context, the cartoons related to the subject were analyzed semiotically through English linguist Geoffrey Leech’s the seven types of signification. Within the scope of the findings obtained in the study, it was revealed that the magazine tried to form a perception that the Ottoman Empire, which was defeated in the First Balkan War, became a powerful country by receiving the military support of the German Empire. On the other hand, it was concluded that the Ottoman Empire was presented as an important threat to the Entente Powers through the declaration of jihad and the possible Suez Campaign against England, and in this way, the message that the German Empire had a strong ally in the war was attempted to be given in the magazine.

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