Le Souvenir français

Young women in traditional dress had been furtively placing cockades on soldiers' tombs.

An Alsatian professor, Xavier Niessen,[1] against Prussian orders in these departments, was keen to show his membership of the French fatherland and thought that remembering those who had died for France allowed the feeling of national unity to be maintained.

Thus, on 7 March 1888 he summoned the French to join his new association, which then had a highly active period.

Thus the law of 31 July 1920 created the "service national des sépultures", took charge of military cemeteries and organised nationals necropolises.

After the Second World War general Lacapelle, president of Le Souvenir Français, demanded the identification of 100,000 French soldiers who had died the battle of France and the maintenance of their tombs.