1942 Anti-American Antisemetic 'Dollar Octopus' Propaganda Map of the United States

This is a powerful 1942 Lou Manche German World War II anti-American antisemitic propaganda poster and map of the Americas, over which is superimposed an avaricious octopus with economic tentacles reaching out to control the world. It was produced by the Nazi Department of People's Education and Propaganda (Departement van Volksvoorlichting en Kunsten) and accuses Jewish influence and American capitalism - centered around Roosevelt, Fort Knox, and the White House - of being a global menace, and attempts to portray the Axis powers as labor-supporting liberators.

A Closer Look

The image focuses on a map of the Americas, including both North and South America, over which is superimposed an enormous octopus-like tentacle beast, representing American (and, according to the imagery, Jewish) economic world domination. Each tentacle features a date, representing an American imperialistic expansion:

• 1849 - Mexican-American War: California, New Mexico, Texas
• 1876 - Purchase of Alaska
• 1898 - Acquisition of Hawaii
• 1898 - Spanish-American War: Philippines, Cuba, Puerto Rico
• 1940 - US Naval Base in Newfoundland
• 1941 - U.S. Assumes Defensive Responsibility for Iceland
• 1941 - Good Neighbor Policy: U.S. Defensive Presence in South America

The map also illustrates Axis success against U.S. interests, including the 1942 Japanese invasions of the Philippines and the Aleutian Islands and German attacks on American shipping in the Atlantic. Text in Dutch leaves no ambiguity regarding the map's message.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by the Dutch illustrator Emile Louis Manche and published for the Propaganda Section, Department von Volkslichting en Kunsten of German-occupied Holland. We note there is an alternative issue of this image presented horizontally with additional text. Not in OCLC, but we note examples in a few museums and on the market from time to time.