14-18: Les Femmes en Poitou et en Charentes

Much has been said and published on the Great War as it was experienced by the men at the front. The position of the women, who remained behind them, is much less known. This work is interested in those who lived between the Loire and Gironde. In addition to carrying out tasks related to the inevitable call to land, they perform new functions in order to respond to the needs caused by the conflict. Their fight can also be seen in outbursts of solidarity, in educational initiatives. The book is also interested in the measures implemented at the rear to physically and psychologically support the men at the front: the exchanges of correspondence hold a first-rate place. Beyond the human difficulties and their consequences, the work presents the means which made it possible to transcend the horror and, in a certain way, to face the duration of the war. This work pays tribute to the courage and dedication of these women who remained on the move during this conflict, the collective memory of which is still well-imbued. Coming from diverse backgrounds, the authors of this collective aim to share with the reader their plural views on the 14-18 war approached through the prism of women.