Gallic Warriors
Bert Thomas
Joan of Arc Saved France
1918, PST 10296
Lucien Jonas
Souscrivez a l'Emprunt
[Subscribe to the Loan]
PST 6291
The story of Joan of Arc, the peasant girl who hears God urge her to take up arms against the invading English forces during the Hundred Years War, is well known. A national hero to the French, she created an ideal patriotic subject. However, in this instance, the image of Joan is used as a heroic inspiration on a British poster.
The historical parallel suggested by the poster is one of gender, rather than geography. Joan urges the women of England to follow her example. It falls upon female strength to save the homeland from outside aggression. Whilst women were not actually expected to go into battle, there were other means on the domestic front, such as contributing to war saving schemes, that enabled them to do their bit.
The historical parallels of the French resisting an invading force can also be drawn with the siege of the Gauls by the Romans. The Lucien poster displays the proud figure of an ancient Celt warrior. Such men took part in the Gallic Wars, which involved a vast array of Celtic tribes fighting against the Romans. Such comparisons allow the contemporary citizen to take comfort in realising that their ancestors had faced similar struggles.
Next: American Independence >>
