---
title: À l'œuvre, c'est notre guerre [At work, it's our war]
url: https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/canada-a-loeuvre-cest-notre-guerre-french-1939/
description: A gloved fist raised high grips a sledgehammer against red and blue brush-stroke fields, under 'À l'œuvre' and 'C'est notre guerre' in red.
section: Collection
---

1. [Home](https://propagandaarchive.org/)
2. [Collection](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/)
3. À l'œuvre, c'est notre guerre [At work, it's our war]

[![À l'œuvre, c'est notre guerre \[At work, it's our war\], 1939 Canada poster: A gloved fist raised high grips a sledgehammer](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/canada-a-loeuvre-cest-notre-guerre-french-1939.jpg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/images/canada-a-loeuvre-cest-notre-guerre-french-1939.jpg)

# À l'œuvre, c'est notre guerre [At work, it's our war]

A gloved fist raised high grips a sledgehammer against red and blue brush-stroke fields, under 'À l'œuvre' and 'C'est notre guerre' in red, white and blue lettering. The shared possessive 'notre' fuses the French-language reader with the national war effort (identity-fusion), and the worker's hammer sets out the contribution as labour.

## Propaganda techniques used in this poster

[Identity fusion](https://propagandaarchive.org/techniques/identity-fusion/)

## Text on the object

Original (French) · read from the image, not independently checked

```
À L'ŒUVRE
C'EST NOTRE GUERRE
PUBLIÉE PAR LE SERVICE DE L'INFORMATION, MINISTÈRE DES SERVICES NATIONAUX DE GUERRE, OTTAWA
IMPRIMÉ AU CANADA
[code at lower left:] [illegible]
[signature:] Aldwinckle
```

English translation (machine translation by Claude, not verified by a fluent reader)

```
AT WORK
IT'S OUR WAR
PUBLISHED BY THE INFORMATION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF NATIONAL WAR SERVICES, OTTAWA
PRINTED IN CANADA
[code at lower left:] [illegible]
[signature:] Aldwinckle
```

[← British Weapons to Defeat Hitler - Britain is Building 30,000 Tanks to Destroy Her Enemies](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/british-weapons-to-defeat-hitler-tanks-1939/) [Be Ready - The Army Must Finish the Job! →](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/canada-be-ready-the-army-must-finish-the-job-1939/)

## More propaganda examples that use the same techniques

- [Our job is to beat the Hun. Vote Union Government (Canada, 1917 election)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/our-job-is-to-beat-the-hun-union-government-1917/) (Canada · 1917 · Name-calling, Identity fusion). Content note: Ethnic slur ('Hun') for Germans in the slogan.
- [Julistus (Proclamation): Red Guard committee denies rumours and orders rumour-spreaders arrested](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/punakaarti-julistus-huhut-1918/) (Finland · 1918 · Identity fusion)
- [Salzburg 20-Kronen "Anschluss" voucher (1921)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/salzburg-anschluss-voucher-20-kronen-1921/) (Austria · 1921 · Identity fusion)
- [The Bombay Chronicle, article on a foreign-cloth bonfire (July 30, 1921)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/bombay-chronicle-cloth-bonfire-1921/) (British India · Jul 30, 1921 · Identity fusion, Glittering generalities)
- [L'Unione Sarda, 24 March 1929: 'Il voto di oggi, è atto di fede' (plebiscite day front page)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/unione-sarda-plebiscito-front-page-1929/) (Fascist Italy · Mar 24, 1929 · Identity fusion, Glittering generalities)
- [Zwei SA-Männer bringen ein Hitler-Plakat an (Mecklenburg)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/sa-maenner-kleben-hitler-plakat-mecklenburg-1932/) (Weimar Republic · Jun 21, 1932 · Identity fusion). Content note: Photograph of SA men in uniform with swastika armband putting up a Hitler election poster, 1932.
- [Hitlerjugend, Deutsches Jungvolk: Altmetallsammlung](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/hj-altmetallsammlung-jungvolk-1933/) (Nazi Germany · 1933 · Identity fusion). Content note: Deutsches Jungvolk boys in uniform collecting scrap metal, 1933.
- [Marine-HJ werben für den Bau von HJ-Heimen (Handwagen mit Plakat)](https://propagandaarchive.org/collection/marine-hj-werbung-hj-heime-1933/) (Nazi Germany · 1933 · Identity fusion). Content note: Hitler Youth members in uniform with swastika armbands and flags promoting the building of Hitler Youth homes.