Yesterday at 4 PM, for three minutes, the bells of France rang out in remembrance of the three million French who, on August 1, 1914, received the order of “general mobilization.”
For Kader Arif, the Deputy Minister for Veterans, it is about commemorating the Great War “in every community, every family, every household, involving as many French people as possible, for a Centenary of cohesion and national unity.”
The “tocsin” is the alarm bell signaling imminent danger: fire, invasion, the beginning of a war. The so-called “braillarde” bell is then rung at the rate of 60 times per minute.
The tocsin was sounded for the last time in France in 1939, when France entered the Second World War.
Historical Background
On August 1, 1914, at 3:45 PM, Prime Minister René Viviani decided on general mobilization for the next day. By 3:55 PM, a telegram was sent from Paris to all prefects and military leaders.
The very first mobilization poster was put up at 4 PM in Paris, at the corner of rue Concorde and rue Royale.
Three million Frenchmen aged 21 to 48 were then called to the colors, joining the 800,000 soldiers already in active service. By 5 PM, Germany decided to mobilize as well.
On the evening of August 2, Germany, accusing France of bombing its territory, declared war on it. August 3 marked the official entry of France into the conflict.
