[ M1702 ] Original 1916 Dutch Poster no 85

Description

Poster shows caricature of man [retired French general Victor Michel?] in profile, looking backwards through a pair of binoculars. He has a long stemmed pipe hanging out of his mouth, an earring is visible in his right ear and his hair is gathered together and pulled up forward over his head. Additional dialogue caption reads "Michel: Geen gevaar! Wat zijn ze nog ver weg!" [Michel speaks: No danger! What I see is still far away!]. In a Supreme War Council in France in 1911, General Victor Constant Michel proposed a strategy of "offensive á l'outrance" [offense in defense] positioning French forces along the eastern border to wait out Germany's moves. His proposal was rejected by military planners who favored adopting a full offensive strategy and Michel resigned.