Humour During World War II

Despite all the horrors of World War II—there was still room for humour, satire, and a healthy dose of sarcasm.

Although, sometimes the price to pay for a joke could be extremely high. In this blog, these are just a few examples of some WWII jokes, the consequences for some of them, and the way people coped with the war—in a humorous manner.

I am unsure if this one originates from WWII but I believe it does.

“Why do French tanks have rear-view mirrors? To see the battlefield.”

21st November 1940: Wally’s Barbershop, St Martin Street has defiant signs outside after losing its windows during the London blitz.

A British shopkeeper hanging up a sign during the Blitz which reads, “Business as usual Mr. Hitler.” (London, England, 1940)

Although the Nazis didn’t feel that jokes necessarily undermined their regime there were times people were punished severely by telling jokes, especially when Hitler was the butt of the joke.

“The true Aryan is as blond as Hitler, as slim as Göring and as tall as Goebbels” Many  German jokes centred on the vanity and human weaknesses of the Nazi leadership, not so much on the fact that they were evil killers.

“An adjutant bursts into Görings office: “The Reichstag is on fire!!”. Göring checks his watch and says: “What, already?” The Germans had their suspicions that the Nazis were behind the Reichstag fire.

“Hitler and Göring are standing atop the Berlin radio tower. Hitler says he wants to do something to put a smile on Berliners’ faces. So Göring says: “Why don’t you jump?”

A factory worker, known as Marianne K., was executed for telling this joke. Her husband was killed in Stalingrad.

Humorous propaganda poster