Ordre de mobilisation générale vierge 1904 ?

Printed in 1904 by the Imprimerie Nationale, this original French government poster is an unused version of the Ordre de Mobilisation Générale for the French Army and Navy. The official form was prepared in advance so that the date could be added immediately if the President of the Republic ordered a national mobilization.

The most significant feature of this example is the uncompleted line reading “Le premier jour de la mobilisation est le…”—“The first day of mobilization is…”. When France proclaimed general mobilization in August 1914, copies of this same form were completed with “Sunday, 2 August 1914” and displayed throughout the country. This surviving blank example preserves the document in its original state before activation.

The text announces the mobilization of both the land and naval forces, together with the requisition of the animals, vehicles and harnesses required by the armies. Every Frenchman subject to military service was instructed to follow the directions contained in his individual mobilization booklet. The order applied to the regular Army, colonial troops, auxiliary services, registered seamen and naval armourers.

Its design is deliberately severe and authoritative. Monumental black lettering establishes a clear hierarchy, while two crossed French tricolour flags provide the only prominent decorative element. The restrained composition, official emblems and large blank date line reflect the poster’s administrative purpose: it had to communicate an urgent national order clearly and immediately.

More than a decade before the outbreak of the First World War, France had already prepared the printed documents required to mobilize its population and resources. This original blank poster is therefore an exceptional document of military planning and government communication. Its unused state and direct connection with the events of August 1914 make it particularly appealing to collectors of French history, First World War material, military ephemera and official government posters.

Original poster

Military - 14-18 - France

Army and Sea Army - Bookstore of the War Museum

National

Good condition, folds