---
title: '"England and the War in South Africa" (Der wahre Jacob, 1899)'
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/war-and-capitalism-der-wahre-jacob-1899/
description: A glass still distils a battle of British soldiers and Boer fighters into blood-red liquid that runs through a pipe into a vat and out as gold coin…
section: Collection
---

[Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)

[!["England and the War in South Africa" (Der wahre Jacob, 1899)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/war-and-capitalism-der-wahre-jacob-1899.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/war-and-capitalism-der-wahre-jacob-1899.jpg)

# "England and the War in South Africa" (Der wahre Jacob, 1899)

A glass still distils a battle of British soldiers and Boer fighters into blood-red liquid that runs through a pipe into a vat and out as gold coin, shovelled by a figure labelled Cecil Rhodes while Salisbury and Chamberlain look on. Shelves of money-sacks carry the names Rothschild, Chartered Company, Kronprinz von Wales and Herzog von Fife, so one profit motive and a list of named beneficiaries stand in for the whole cause of the war.

- **Date:** December 5, 1899
- **Period:** [Pre-1914](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#era=pre-1914)
- **Made by:** Der wahre Jacob (Stuttgart satirical magazine, Social Democratic press); cartoon by Rata Langa (Gabriele Galantara)
- **Region:** [Western and Central Europe](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#region=western-central-europe)
- **Country:** [German Empire](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#country=german-empire)
- **Medium:** [Cartoon](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#medium=cartoon)
- **Issuer type:** [Media](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#actor=media)
- **Regime:** [German Empire](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#regime=german-empire)
- **Leader:** [Wilhelm II](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#leader=wilhelm-ii)
- **Audience:** [Domestic public](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#audience=domestic-public)
- **Purpose:** [Demonize](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#purpose=demonize)
- **Themes:** [Empire and colonialism](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=empire-colonialism), [Economy and finance](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=economy-finance), [War and the military](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=war-military)
- **Event:** [Second Boer War](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#event=second-boer-war)
- **Techniques:** [Card stacking](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/card-stacking/) [Scapegoating](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/scapegoating/)
- **Regime:** [German Empire under Wilhelm II](https://propagandaarchive.org/regimes/german-empire/)
- **Leader:** [Wilhelm II](https://propagandaarchive.org/regimes/german-empire/#wilhelm-ii)
- **Source:** Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are
- **Source:** [Wikimedia Commons (scan of Heidelberg University Library digitisation)](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:England_und_der_Krieg_in_S%C3%BCdafrika_-_Rata_Langa_1899.jpg), retrieved September 29, 2026
- **Rights:** Public domain (published 1899; artist died 1937; Commons PD-old-70 and PD-US-expired) Rata Langa (Gabriele Galantara), Der wahre Jacob no. 349, 5 December 1899, p. 3130; scan via digi.ub.uni-heidelberg.de and Wikimedia Commons

## Text on the object

Original (German) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
England und der Krieg in Südafrika.

KRONPRINZ VON WALES
HERZOG VON FIFE
ROTHSCHILD
CHARTERED COMPANY
SALISBURY
Chamberlain
Cecil Rhodes
Rata Langa (signature)

Krieg und Kapitalismus, oder die Verwandlung von Menschenblut in Gold.
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
England and the war in South Africa. / CROWN PRINCE OF WALES / DUKE OF FIFE / ROTHSCHILD / CHARTERED COMPANY / SALISBURY / Chamberlain / Cecil Rhodes / Rata Langa (signature) / War and capitalism, or the transformation of human blood into gold.
```

Sack labels on the shelves and name labels beside the figures are in small capitals or script; all read clearly at 1280 px. Reading order follows the plate: title, shelf labels left to right, figure labels, signature, caption.

[← "The White Man's Burden (Apologies to Rudyard Kipling)" (Judge, 1899)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/white-mans-burden-judge-1899/) [Del-Lâchoda devant l'Angleterre (Musée des Horreurs no. 21) →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/del-lachoda-musee-des-horreurs-fashoda-1900/)

## Using the same techniques

- [Bayeux Tapestry, scene 23: UBI HAROLD SACRAMENTVM FECIT VVILLELMO DVCI](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/bayeux-tapestry-harold-oath-to-william-1070/) (1070 · Transfer, Card stacking)
- [Passional Christi und Antichristi: the emperor kisses the pope's foot (leaf 'Antichristus')](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/passional-christi-antichristi-emperor-kisses-pope-1521/) (1521 · Name-calling, Card stacking)
- [The Bloody Massacre perpetrated in King Street Boston on March 5th 1770 by a party of the 29th Regt.](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/revere-bloody-massacre-king-street-1770/) (Mar 1770 · Name-calling, Card stacking)
- [La paz según el Perú – La paz según los chilenos (Peace According to Peru, Peace According to the Chileans)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/la-paz-segun-el-peru-el-banquillo-1880/) (Jun 12, 1880 · Card stacking)
- [Remember the Maine! And Don't Forget the Starving Cubans! (Judge)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/remember-the-maine-starving-cubans-judge-1898/) (May 7, 1898 · Card stacking)
- ["A Sacrifice to Aguinaldo's Ambition" (commercial stereograph, 1899)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/sacrifice-to-aguinaldos-ambition-1899/) (1899 · Card stacking, Name-calling). Content note: Photograph of two dead Filipino soldiers.
- ["Kill Every One Over Ten" (New York Evening Journal, 1902)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/kill-every-one-over-ten-1902/) (May 5, 1902 · Name-calling, Card stacking). Content note: Blindfolded Filipino children before a firing squad.
- [Irrévocablement. Ouverture 15 avril. Marseille. Exposition coloniale (1906)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/marseille-exposition-coloniale-irrevocablement-1906/) (1906 · Card stacking)