François - Moscou Attaque! - 1932

MOSCA ATTACCA! : BLACK SATIRE AGAINST THE COMMUNIST REGIME, IN EUROPE BETWEEN THE WARS
Rare and powerful album of political satire published in Brussels in 1932, Moscou attaque! fits into the mood of strong ideological tension in Europe between the two wars, when Bolshevism was perceived by broad sectors of Western society as an existential threat. Fernand François’s panels, raw, symbolic and technically incisive, build a violent and disturbing visual imaginary, in which anti-Communist propaganda takes allegorical forms of great impact: skulls, birds of prey, deformed figures and scenes of control and repression. The work is not only a publishing product, but a true political instrument, destined to influence public opinion through the force of imagery and the weight of authoritative international testimonies.
MARKET VALUE
Rare work on the market, especially complete with the 12 plates and the text booklet. Complete sets in good condition can reach 900–1,500 euros.

PHYSICAL DESCRIPTION AND CONDITION
Rigid cardboard binding with signs of wear. The volume contains 12 plates illustrated by Fernand François and 16 pages of typographic text. Limited edition of 1500 numbered copies, here no. 637. Illustrated editorial cover. In old books, with a history spanning centuries, there may be some imperfections, not always noted in the description. Pp. 16.

FULL TITLE AND AUTHOR
Moscou attaque!
Brussels, Editions “Moscou Attaque”, 1932.
Illustrations by Fernand François.

CONTEXT AND SIGNIFICANCE
The work belongs to the thread of European anti-Communist propaganda of the 1930s, at a time when fear of the spread of Bolshevism was fueled both by conservative circles and by religious and political institutions. The text accompanies the images with contributions from internationally prominent figures — including Pius XI, François Coty and high ecclesiastical and diplomatic figures — building a choral narrative against the Soviet Union.
François’s plates are particularly significant: they do not merely caricature, but use a dark, almost expressionist symbolic language. The skull, the lion, the birds of prey and the deformed figures embody an apocalyptic vision of communism, while scenes such as the blindfolded man evoke ideological control and the loss of individual freedom. The work thus represents a emblematic example of how graphic art was used as an ideological weapon in the interwar period.

BIOGRAPHY OF THE AUTHOR
Fernand François (active in the first half of the 20th century) was an illustrator and caricaturist specializing in political satire. He collaborated with numerous European publications and stood out for a sharp, high-contrast style with a strong symbolic component. His works reflect the ideological tensions of his time, with particular attention to the critique of totalitarianisms and the fears widespread in Western society between the wars.

PRINTING HISTORY AND CIRCULATION
Published in Brussels in 1932 in a limited edition of 1500 numbered copies, Moscou attaque! was conceived as a propaganda album intended for selective but influential diffusion. The presence of texts signed by international personalities suggests a publishing strategy aimed at lending authority to the political message. The survival of complete copies is today relatively limited, also due to the ephemeral nature of many propaganda publications of the period.

BIBLIOGRAPHY AND REFERENCES
ICCU/OPAC SBN: copies not systematically cataloged; inconsistent presence in Italian libraries.
WorldCat: records relating to European anti-Communist propaganda editions of the 1930s (to be verified for this specific edition).
BnF Catalogue général: related materials in the context of illustrated interwar political propaganda.
Studies on European propaganda between the two wars: analysis of the role of imagery in building political consensus.
Catalogs of 20th-century graphic satire and repertoires on European political caricature.