[2] The newspaper, which benefited from the law of 11 May 1868 on freedom of press, was founded on the initiative of Victor Hugo on the eve of the general elections of 1868.

[3] Le Rappel was started on 4 May 1869, with Charles and François-Victor Hugo, Auguste Vacquerie, and Paul Meurice as its principal contributors.

[2] As a contribution to the first issue, Victor Hugo wrote a manifesto consisting of an address to the five co-editors: It is a call.

On 29 August 1876, Victor Hugo denounced the massacre of Serbs by the Ottoman Empire in a long editorial called Pour la Serbie, protesting against the impassivity of European governments.

[5] On 27 April 1881, after Jews were slaughtered and driven out of the city of Yelisavetgrad in Russia, Victor Hugo used Le Rappel to denounce the pogrom and to express fury at the massacre.