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Poilu (/ˈpwɑːluː/;French:[pwaly])[1] is an informal term for a late 18th century–early 20th century Frenchinfantryman, meaning, literally,the hairy one. It is still widely used as a term of endearment for the French infantry of World War I. The word carries the sense of the infantryman's typicallyrustic, agricultural background, and derives from the bushymoustaches and other facial hair affected by many French soldiers after the outbreak of the war as a sign of masculinity.[2] The poilu was particularly known for his love ofpinard, his ration of cheap wine.[3][4]
The image of thedogged, bearded French soldier was widely used in propaganda and war memorials.[5] The stereotype of the poilu was of bravery and endurance, but not always of unquestioning obedience. At the disastrousChemin des Dames offensive of 1917 under GeneralRobert Nivelle, they were said to have gone intono man's land making baa'ing noises—a collective bit ofgallows humour signalling the idea that they were being sent as lambs to the slaughter. Outstanding for its mixture of horror and heroism, this spectacle proved a sobering one. As the news of it spread, the French high command soon found itself coping witha widespread mutiny. A minor revolution was averted only with the promise of an end to the costly offensive.
The last surviving poilu from World War I was Pierre Picault. However, French authorities recognisedLazare Ponticelli—who had served in the French Foreign Legion as an Italian citizen—as the last poilu, as he was the last veteran whose service met the strict official criteria.[6] Lazare Ponticelli died inLe Kremlin-Bicêtre on 12 March 2008, aged 110.[7]
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