‘Germania. As soon as we’ve finished we’ll deal with the recovery of France.’ On 23 September 1947, two years after the end of the Second World War, French cartoonist Pol Ferjac paints an ironic picture of how the Western Allies and some French politicians are focusing on the recovery of defeated Germany. Ferjac points out the dangers of this recovery, which seems to be taking place before the recovery of France, represented by a broken ‘Marianne’ statue lying on the ground. From left to right, Paul Ramadier, President of the French Council of Ministers, Georges Bidault, French Foreign Minister, Ernest Bevin, British Foreign Secretary, and Harry Truman, US President, are doing all they can to put Germany back on its feet. The country is represented by an imposing ‘Germania’ statue whose aggressive, militaristic features (Wehrmacht helmet with a swastika, military boots and huge sword) do not augur well.