"The Soldiers' Plonk, a History of Wine in France during the Great War (1914-1918) | Christophe Lucand"

Popular and glorified during the Great War, "Pinard" was more than just a drink for the soldiers thrown into the midst of combat. Distributed without restraint, it "nourished" millions of men and was, very early on, the only recourse in the face of the horrors of the conflict.

Red wine, of very poor quality, from high-yield plants, pinard, always diluted, watered down, adulterated or suspected of containing bromide, took hold in the trenches. Hailed by official propaganda, it was honored and elevated to the status of a national and patriotic drink, before becoming the "Pinard of Victory" celebrated throughout France.

This work allows us to discover two fronts. The "vitivinicultural front," rarely mentioned by historians, but whose study is essential when one wants to understand how the men of 14-18 were able to endure, and the "warrior front," a place of engagements and maintenance of men whose aggressiveness and submission to hierarchy were only possible thanks to massive alcohol consumption, organized by political and military authorities haunted by the specter of defeat.