A commemorative plaque was inaugurated this Monday, November 11 by the Paris Animals Zoopolis (PAZ) association in the 14th arrondissement, in memory of the tens of millions of animals who walked the front line.
They were also allies on the front. On November 11, 2024, on the occasion of the Armistice, a commemorative plaque was inaugurated in the 14th arrondissement of Paris by the town hall to honor the memory of the animals who participated in the First World War.
The ceremony took place at 42 boulevard Jourdan, a rather unusual place. “It’s a remount depot. A military establishment where all the requisitioned horses were gathered, trained for war and sent to the front,” says Amandine Sanvisens, guest on the set of BFM Paris Île-de-France.
The co-founder of the Paris Animals Zoopolis (PAZ) association fought for commemorative plaques to be installed in the capital. The installation of that of the 14th arrondissement was adopted in 2018.
A presence of weight on the forehead
The approach is important for the association, which evokes a lack of involvement of France in this sense.
“I remind you that France was one of the rare countries not to have a monument to war animals. Allied capitals like London, Canberra and Ottawa had a monument,” takes Amanadine Sanvisens as an example.
For good reason, the presence of these animals on the front was useful to the soldiers. “They played a central role in the First World War,” she says. In total, 11 million equines carried artillery or secret messages, accompanied by hundreds of thousands of pigeons and ambulance dogs.
The donkeys were also, thanks to their small size, able to go into the trenches to bring bread or messages to the soldiers. Their absence would have made the war “totally different”.
Other plaques expected in Paris
This recognition of animal strength in times of war is an essential principle for the poilus.
“When we read their testimonies, we realize that they wanted to pay tribute to these animals,” explains Amandine Sanvisens.
Outside of the 14th arrondissement, other commemorative plaques have been inaugurated in Paris. One in the 11th arrondissement and another in the 19th arrondissement, near Buttes-Chaumont, were horse requisitions.
The PAZ association expects three others, notably in the 15th and 13th where “mayors are very resistant”. However, the structure has agreements for the 8th arrondissement, as well as the 18th and Paris center.
In total, thanks to research using press articles, photographs and posters, PAZ has identified 15 places in Paris linked to the animals of the Great War.
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