When guns shoot, muses calm down, only the Satire muse works hard. At any war time the caricaturists need great courage to criticize not only enemies but the commanders of their own armies, famous for their drinking and debauch, and not for successful victories (Gillray did it in 1793).When wars break down, the majority of artists begin to attack enemies from newspapers and magazines, with the help of leaflets and posters. In 1812 more than 40 Russian artists with Terebenev, Ivanov, and Venetsianov at the head "shot" at the French army. They became the forefathers of Russian patriotic caricature. Napoleon, the Satan servant, was also mocked by English, French, and Spanish artists; after his dethronement the French themselves drew him as a gallows-bird.

They say that verbal mocking of each other took place right in the battle field in ancient times. War cursing used to be the Slavonic tradition, its goal was to weaken the enemy. In 1850-1860 a famous "wordy" caricaturist K. Prutkov "praised" the hero of his time - an unsuccessful warrior who lost the Crimean War. Russian warriors were ridiculed by English and French caricaturists, among them was the great O. Daumier. Criticizing Russian tsar and his generals the artists blamed militarism in general ("Angel of Peace", "Future", "Mars", and some others). On the pages of "Punch" Nikolai I appeared as Death, or with the bear's head, running from combative Turks. Quite often caricaturists made fun of Russian coat-of-arms (two-headed eagle). The Russians artists also mocked some Western politicians. N. Stepanov ridiculed the stupidity of Napoleon and the British prime-minister Palmerstone, their diplomatic intrigues, and falsity of hostile mass media.

In Russian magazines published before October, 1917, caricatures devoted to military theme can be found (A. Benois "Balkan Theatre", 1908; Re-Mi "Re-forge samovars into swords, and pans - into shields", 1912, "Satiricon"). Any war changes people's minds, leads to disasters and destruction, and caricature reflects it by its distorting mirror. "Fit for military service",- states the doctor after examining the former soldier's skeleton (G. Gross). This caricature is good for all seasons, for all countries, for Russia, as well. Remember wars in Afganistan and Chechnya.