“À Nos Morts” it reads, “To our dead”. What does it mean to truly honor those lost to war?
The Monuments aux Morts are French war memorials. They commemorate the losses of World War I. After the 1914–1918 war ended, France sought to remember those killed. Over 36000 individual memorials were erected throughout France between 1919 and 1926.
France lost some 1327000 men in the bloody conflict. There was a need to come to terms with this immense loss. People needed a focal point to remember their lost ones. Few bodies were sent home. They were buried on or near battlefields. Often these were far from their home. Many had no remains to identify. The word “missing” cast a shadow over Europe. The monument aux morts filled the void left by the war. It replaced the individual grave.
Monuments remembering those killed in war first appeared after the Franco-Prussian War. After the Great War they appeared in every town and village. The monument aux morts marked the death of ordinary citizens. It honored the grief of widows, orphans and parents. It did not focus on armies or military leaders. The list of the dead is alphabetical or chronological. Rank is not emphasized. Death is egalitarian. The epitaphs are often the same. “À Nos Morts.” “Gloire à nos héros.”
There was great variety in the forms of monuments. This was inevitable. The war left France practically bankrupt. Many villages had been totally destroyed. Rebuilding them was the priority.
Many monuments are simple obelisks. They are surmounted by a Gallic rooster or a Croix de Guerre. They may be embellished with a laurel. Those who could afford more opted for sculpture. These were sometimes individual works by local sculptors. They were very often mass-produced. A commercial monument industry made the creation of so many monument aux morts possible.
Sculptors generally avoided any display of triumphalism. Many featured representations of a soldier or “poilu.” Sculptors tried to represent the great feeling of loss and grief felt throughout France. Representations of weeping women and grieving widows are often seen.
The law stated monuments aux morts should not bear religious symbols. This was unless they were erected in a cemetery. Communes often had a public monument aux morts in the main square and a parish monument aux morts in the church.
Town halls and ex-soldiers associations raised funds. This was mostly by public subscription. The State also contributed. The law encouraged the “remembrance and glorification of those who died for France.” This financial support was minimal. It was linked to the number of dead lost by the town or village.
The government stated that a “Livre d’Or” or “Golden book” be written. It would set out the names of those who had died for France. A National memorial would be erected in or near Paris.
The laws of 1919 addressed how the nation should remember her dead. The concept of the “Livre d’Or” was established. The names of combatants who had died for France would be inscribed in registers in the Panthéon. This embraced those killed and those who died from enemy violence.
The State delivered a “Livre d’Or” to each community. It inscribed the names of combatants who had died for France and had lived or been born there. This book was held in the Town Hall.
The law of 1920 clarified the subsidies available from the State. The amount of any subsidy was linked to the number of deaths per 100 inhabitants. It also took into account the wealth of any given commune.
The monument aux morts avoids triumphalism. It adopts a sombre and reflective tone. There is a marked concentration on grief. The monument is a place for reflection. It is a place to remember the cost of war.