Conclusion

The cartoon focuses on Churchill as a figure of resistance, encouraging Britain with the help of its Empire, to fight on in very difficult times. In the cartoonist's opinion, Churchill was determined and strong, a view shared by many people. Also, this cartoon shows us that the government felt it necessary to commission a cartoon to help boost morale at what was a very difficult time. It is evidence that the government felt Churchill was a public figure who could inspire people.

This cartoon is clearly propaganda; the view it puts forward must be balanced by recognition of the situation at the time. Some other people thought he was bossy, overbearing and reckless and not all soldiers from the Empire were keen to fight. The mood in the cartoon is one of determination and confidence, but this does not mean that this was true. In 1940 Britain was fighting the Second World War on its own. It had little reason to feel confident -after all, British troops had recently evacuated from Dunkirk and morale was low.