À nos morts

Memorials were erected everywhere in France to commemorate the soldiers who died during World War I (1914-1918). Annette Becker and Rémi Dalisson, two historians, describe this trend and explain the particular meaning of these monuments, both as testimonies of the violence of this war and mass death, but also as symbols used by each community to pay tribute to all its soldiers who died for the French Republic.

This is an excerpt from the film "Rendez-vous aux monuments aux morts" (congregation at the war memorials) explaining the special nature of war memorials in Alsace-Lorraine, Northern France and former French colonies.

This is an excerpt from the film "Rendez-vous aux monuments aux morts" (congregation at the war memorials) explaining how the meaning of war memorials has changed over time since they were erected after World War I and the promulgation of the last laws endowing them with the power of celebrating all those who died for France.

This is an excerpt from the film "Rendez-vous aux monuments aux morts" (congregation at the war memorials) explaining the different types of memorials erected.

The commemorations of the centenary of the Battle of Verdun, during which 300,000 French and German soldiers were killed, officially begin on February 21st. In a hundred years, the legacy of this battle, a symbol of the horror and absurdity of war, has profoundly changed, as historians Antoine Prost and Gerd Krumeich explain.

This is an excerpt from the film "Rendez-vous aux monuments aux morts" (congregation at the war memorials) explaining the post-war need to erect memorials to commemorate and pay tribute to the dead.

World War I marked the entry of the 20th century into mass slaughter. To preserve the memory of all the soldiers who died for France, war memorials were erected throughout the country at the beginning of the 1920s. Endowed with multiple forms and meanings, they are a precious testimony to post-war mentalities. Several historians have highlighted the various meanings of these monuments in response to the need for mourning for families and the need to commemorate the French Republic's victory…

This is an excerpt from the film "Rendez-vous aux monuments aux morts" (congregation at the war memorials) explaining the naming of the dead on war memorials and its meanings.