ALLOUARD, Henri
Paris 1844 - ? 1929Bataille de l'Yzer, Octobre MCMXIV
Battle of Yzer, October MCMXIV
probably 1916
bronze
medal and plaquette
Dimensions (HxWxD): diam. 2 5⁄8 in.
Acc. No.: 45.14
Credit Line: Gift of Nina Cullinan
© Artist : public domain
© Artist : public domainProvenance
- 1945, Gift of Nina Cullinan
Bibliography
- Museum's website (accessed 6 January 2016)
Related works
- Other copies:
- at Museum Victoria, Melbourne, Australia, NU 34427; see: http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/59145 (see below),
- at Imperial War Museum, London, IWM MED 482.
Comment
- Museum Victoria Collections http://collections.museumvictoria.com.au/items/59145 (accessed 07 January 2016):
Summary
Bronze medal commemorating the Battle of L'Yzer 1914 and the role of General Foch and Admiral Ronarc'h.
Mint: Paris, France (probably struck in 1916).
Those depicted of the obverse of the medal are:
Ferdinand Foch OM GCB was a French soldier, military theorist, and writer. He served as general in the French army during World War I taking charge of the French role in the Flanders campaign in 1914 and rising to Marshal of France in its final year, 1918. Shortly after the start of the Spring Offensive, Germany's final attempt to win the war, Foch was chosen as supreme commander of the Allied armies, a position that he held until 11 November 1918, when he accepted the German request for an armistice.
Admiral Ronarc'h was promoted to Vice-Admiral in June 1914 and rose to French national prominence during the Flanders campaign of October - November that year where he lead a brigade of 6500 French marines in support of the Belgian Army under King Albert I on the Yser (Yzer) river. His actions helped save the Belgian army and the French Channel ports.
Obverse Description
Within two oval frames resting within oak and laurel branches half-length facing portraits of, on the left Admiral Ronarch and on the right General Foch, both in military uniform and wearing caps; around above the related portrait, AMIRAL RONARCH and GENERAL FOCH; the artist's name H. Allouard signed incuse at top.
Reverse Description
At the centre, Belgium standing arms folded with sword in sheath; below, the German eagle on its back facing the French cock; at left soldiers fighting in the open, one being wounded; on the right soldiers defending from within a trench feet in water (probably the Yser canal or to the flooding of the land, not a reference to later trench conditions); around above, BATAILLE DE L'YZER / OCTOBRE MCMXIV; the artist's name H. Allouard signed incuse on ground behind the eagles head
Edge Description
Stamped BRONZE
Significance
In 1914 Germany invaded Belgium intending to rapidly overpower Belgium and France so avoiding a war on two fronts (part of their Schlieffen Plan developed in the early 20th century). However, as the Belgian army was pushed back it was decided to make a stand at the Yser (Yzer) Canal to deny German plans of gaining the French ports of Calais and Dunkerque. This stand is known as the Battle of the Yser. At the same time the first Battle of Ypres was occuring to the South. The Belgian and French forces withstood the German invasion and the trench lines of the Western Front took their first form.
Those depicted on the medal are Admiral Ronarc'h who led a force of French marines in the defence and General Foch decided to inundate the whole region between Nieuport and Dixmude, a district which at high tide was below the sea level. At high tide the sluices were opened and the tide flowed across the land, they were then closed and the water held back until the next high tide. The German advance was stopped.