La LVF - Légion des volontaires français 1941

This powerful and rare original poster from 1941 was issued by the LVF (Légion des Volontaires Français), a collaborationist French militia founded during the Second World War. The slogan "Sous les plis du drapeau – Combat pour l'Europe" (Under the folds of the flag – Fight for Europe) captures the intense ideological fervor of the time. Created as part of a propaganda campaign by the Vichy regime in occupied France, the poster encouraged enlistment in support of Nazi Germany's war against the Soviet Union on the Eastern Front.

The design is visually striking. A menacing French soldier—clad in German-style uniform and steel helmet—emerges in stark contrast against the stylized French tricolor flag. His face is cast in shadow, stern and determined, reflecting the militaristic tone of the campaign. In the top right corner, a gold eagle insignia clutches the French flag—a deliberate echo of Nazi symbolism, intended to unify fascist identity across borders.

The poster bears the title “LVF,” with the full name of the militia spelled below: Légion des Volontaires Français contre le bolchevisme—the “Legion of French Volunteers Against Bolshevism.” These volunteers were drawn from across France, often motivated by anti-communism, nationalism, or collaborationist ideology, and were integrated into the Wehrmacht to fight primarily on the Eastern Front.

Propaganda posters like this one served as psychological tools to recast collaboration as patriotism. The framing of the French tricolor around the soldier was an attempt to lend national legitimacy to a deeply controversial cause. This image remains an enduring artifact of one of France's darkest and most divisive chapters.

Printed by l’Imprimerie Spéciale de la LVF, this piece is a haunting reminder of how visual art was weaponized during wartime. Exceptionally rare and loaded with historical weight, it is a poignant collectible for serious collectors of military history, WW2 propaganda, or French Vichy-era material.

Sous les plis du drapeau - Combat pour l'Europe

Spécial LVF ORAFF

Bon état, traces de plis, déchirures restaurées