--- title: Aux Femmes Françaises (To French Women) — government appeal, 6 August 1914 url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/aux-femmes-francaises-viviani-1914/ description: A text-only official proclamation headed 'République Française' asks women, children and the elderly to bring in the harvest while men are at the front. section: Collection --- [Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/) [![Aux Femmes Françaises (To French Women) — government appeal, 6 August 1914](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/aux-femmes-francaises-viviani-1914.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/aux-femmes-francaises-viviani-1914.jpg) # Aux Femmes Françaises (To French Women) — government appeal, 6 August 1914 A text-only official proclamation headed 'République Française' asks women, children and the elderly to bring in the harvest while men are at the front. Its first sentence assigns the outbreak of war to Germany alone, listing only the peace efforts of France, Russia and Britain (card stacking), and the closing appeal rests on 'la civilisation et le droit' and 'la gloire' (glittering generalities). - **Date:** August 6, 1914 - **Period:** [First World War](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#era=wwi) - **Made by:** Government of the French Republic; signed by René Viviani, Président du Conseil - **Region:** [Western and Central Europe](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#region=western-central-europe) - **Country:** [France](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#country=france) - **Medium:** [Poster](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#medium=poster) - **Issuer type:** [State](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#actor=state) - **Regime:** [Viviani Government](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#regime=viviani-government) - **Leader:** [Rene Viviani](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#leader=rene-viviani) - **Audience:** [Domestic public](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#audience=domestic-public) - **Purpose:** [Mobilize or secure compliance](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#purpose=mobilize-comply) - **Themes:** [Home front](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=home-front), [War and the military](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=war-military), [Labor](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#theme=labor) - **Event:** [World War I](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/#event=world-war-i) - **Techniques:** [Glittering generalities](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/glittering-generalities/) [Card stacking](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/card-stacking/) - **Source:** Identified Openly sourced: the speaker is who they say they are - **Source:** [Library of Congress](https://www.loc.gov/item/99613748/), retrieved September 29, 2026 - **Rights:** Public domain in the U.S. (published 1914, before 1931); LOC record states no rights restriction Government of the French Republic (René Viviani), Paris, 6 August 1914. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, POS-Fr.A01 no. 48, LC-USZC2-3932. ## Text on the object Original (French) · read from the image, not independently checked ``` RÉPUBLIQUE FRANÇAISE Aux Femmes Françaises La guerre a été déchaînée par l'Allemagne malgré les efforts de la France, de la Russie, de l'Angleterre pour maintenir la paix. A l'appel de la Patrie, vos pères, vos fils et vos maris se sont levés et demain ils auront relevé le défi. Le départ pour l'armée de tous ceux qui peuvent porter les armes laisse les travaux des champs interrompus : la moisson est inachevée, le temps des vendanges est proche. Au nom du Gouvernement de la République, au nom de la Nation tout entière groupée derrière lui, je fais appel à votre vaillance, à celle des enfants que leur âge seul et non leur courage dérobe au combat. Je vous demande de maintenir l'activité des campagnes, de terminer les récoltes de l'année, de préparer celle de l'année prochaine : vous ne pouvez pas rendre à la Patrie un plus grand service. Ce n'est pas pour vous, c'est pour elle que je m'adresse à votre cœur. Il faut sauvegarder votre subsistance, l'approvisionnement des populations urbaines et surtout l'approvisionnement de ceux qui défendent à la frontière, avec l'indépendance du pays, la civilisation et le droit. Debout donc, Femmes Françaises, jeunes enfants, filles et fils de la Patrie ! Remplacez sur le champ du travail ceux qui sont sur les champs de bataille. Préparez-vous à leur montrer demain la terre cultivée, les récoltes rentrées, les champs ensemencés. Il n'y a pas dans ces heures graves de labeur infime ; tout est grand qui sert le Pays. Debout à l'action, au labeur ! Il y aura demain de la gloire pour tout le monde. Vive la République ! Vive la France ! Paris, le 6 Août 1914. Pour le Gouvernement de la République : Le Président du Conseil des Ministres, RENÉ VIVIANI. [illegible printer's imprint line] ``` English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader) ``` FRENCH REPUBLIC To French Women The war has been unleashed by Germany in spite of the efforts of France, of Russia, of England to maintain peace. At the call of the Fatherland, your fathers, your sons and your husbands have risen and tomorrow they will have taken up the challenge. The departure for the army of all who can bear arms leaves the work of the fields interrupted: the harvest is unfinished, the time of the grape harvest is near. In the name of the Government of the Republic, in the name of the whole Nation grouped behind it, I appeal to your courage, and to that of the children whom their age alone, and not their courage, keeps from combat. I ask you to keep up the activity of the countryside, to finish this year's harvests, to prepare next year's: you cannot render the Fatherland a greater service. It is not for you, it is for her that I address your heart. Your subsistence must be safeguarded, the supply of the urban populations and above all the supply of those who defend at the frontier, together with the independence of the country, civilisation and right. Rise then, French Women, young children, daughters and sons of the Fatherland! Replace in the field of work those who are on the fields of battle. Get ready to show them tomorrow the land cultivated, the harvests brought in, the fields sown. In these grave hours there is no lowly labour; all is great that serves the Country. Rise to action, to labour! Tomorrow there will be glory for everyone. Long live the Republic! Long live France! Paris, 6 August 1914. For the Government of the Republic: The President of the Council of Ministers, RENÉ VIVIANI. [illegible printer's imprint line] ``` Read from the 1024 px LOC service image; small body text is legible. The printer's imprint at the foot is too small to read and is marked illegible. English is a literal machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader. [← Au Peuple Belge! (von Emmich proclamation, with Allied caption strip)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/emmich-proclamation-au-peuple-belge-1914/) [Breisgauer Zeitung, Telegramme: "Die französische Armee geschlagen" (The French army beaten), August 1914 →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/breisgauer-zeitung-franzoesische-armee-geschlagen-1914/) ## Using the same techniques - [Gold solidus of Constantine I, reverse RESTITVTORI LIBERTATIS](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/solidus-constantine-i-restitutori-libertatis-0313/) (0313 · Glittering generalities) - [Gold solidus of Justinian I, reverse VICTORIA AVGGG with Victory holding a Christogram staff](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/solidus-justinian-i-victoria-avggg-0538/) (0538 · Transfer, Glittering generalities) - [Frontispiece to Eikon Basilike, The Pourtraicture of His Sacred Majestie in his Solitudes and Sufferings (Hollar, 1649)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/eikon-basilike-frontispiece-hollar-1649/) (1649 · Transfer, Glittering generalities) - [Trois Tetes sous l'meme bonnet (three heads under the same cap)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/trois-tetes-sous-le-meme-bonnet-1789/) (1789 · Plain folks, Glittering generalities) - [Proclamation by the Queen in Council, to the Princes, Chiefs, and People of India (printed sheet, Allahabad, 1 November 1858)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/queens-proclamation-to-the-people-of-india-1858/) (Nov 1, 1858 · Glittering generalities, Scapegoating) - [The Great Battle of Ansong Ford: The Valor of Captain Matsuzaki](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/ansong-ford-toshikata-1894/) (1894 · Glittering generalities) - ['The Congress Cross or "Swastik"' (Pickings from the Hindi Punch, Bombay, February 1896)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/hindi-punch-congress-swastik-1896/) (Feb 1896 · Transfer, Glittering generalities) - [Un combate en el río Zapote (A Fight on the Zapote River), Blanco y Negro](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/un-combate-en-el-rio-zapote-1898/) (Jul 9, 1898 · Transfer, Glittering generalities)