Caricature of the power relationship between dictator Mussolini and King Victor Emmanuel III, 1929

In this caricature by Thomas Theodor Heine, which appeared in Simplicissimus on March 4, 1929, the oversized dictator and head of government Benito Mussolini hands a crozier to his begging little "superior," the head of state Victor Emmanuel III, King of Italy. Mussolini pulls the staff from a bundle of lictors, the symbol of Italy's fascist party. The drawing is captioned "King and Papal States," and the caption reads, "Please, great Mussolini, give me also a spot of Italian earth where I may rule." The dome of St. Peter's Basilica can be seen in the background. The cartoon refers to the Lateran Treaties concluded on February 11, 1929 between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy (represented by Mussolini), recognizing Rome as the seat of Italian government and the territorial sovereignty of the Vatican.