The Rire, a French Humour Magazine - Document Analysis

Document analysis

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This cartoon, originally on the front page of The Rire, a French humour magazine that was published from 1894 to 1950, depicts Cecil Rhodes trapped in Kimberley during the second Boer War. This illustration is a caustic assessment of Rhodes’ role during the second South African war^[1]. Rhodes is seen emerging from a fortified tower, which is filled with “treasure”, this treasure being shares, diamonds and gold mines (how he accumulated his wealth). He is clutching champagne, as Kimberly, the capital of Northern Cape, burns around him. The caption on the cover of the magazine reads: “Chamberlain’s accomplice will have poured more blood in Africa than champagne in Kimberley”. Chamberlain was the secretary of state for the colonies, who gave tactic approval to the Jameson raid, which Rhodes supported. This raid, which was supposed to trigger an uprising by the Uitlanders, was a definite inciting factor in the second Boer War. This war killed around 100,000^[2] people, hence why Rhodes is said to have “poured more blood…than champagne”. The idea that Rhodes has been pouring a lot of champagne in Kimberly is possibly a metaphor for the fact that the city held a large number of diamond mines, and the fact that Rhodes made his fortune in the town. Rhodes and his company held the monopoly over the world diamond trade, and Kimberley was the source of 90% of the world’s diamonds^[3].

The fact that Kimberley is burning around him, represents the fact that it was besieged at the beginning of the second Boer war^[4]. Rhodes moved into the town at the onset of the siege, which was obviously controversial, as he was involved in the Jameson Raid. His involvement in the raid made him a key protagonist behind the war.

The image of the fortified tower could signify the fact that Rhodes was “instrumental in organising the defence”^[5] of Kimberley against the Boer forces, as the image of security and defence is mirrored through the use of the barred windows.

 The image of all of Rhodes’ shares, diamonds and gold mines being protected in the fortified tower, perhaps signifies the way in which he would go to any lengths to protect his ‘empire’, due to his ambition of creating a British empire. Rhodes used his wealth to pursue this ambition^[6], as he obtained mineral concessions from powerful indigenous chiefs. He also befriended British Commissioners, organising British protectorates over these mineral concession areas. These two things granted him both legality and security for his mining operations, attracting him more investors. This process of capital investment, and his rigid belief in imperial expansion, went hand in hand.^[7]