ABSTRACT
This chapter looks at various strategies and forms of entertainment adopted by the military and the Government to keep soldiers' morale high. It highlights the legacy of the First World War. The First World War has demonstrated that victory was impossible without looking after soldiers, both mentally and physically. The struggle against low morale in the army became a priority at the very beginning of the conflict. The Etat-Major (EM) defined three courses of action: the rotation of troops, instruction time and manual work. In October 1939, the EM ordered a faster rotation on the North-East frontline. This was designed to 'train troops but also to identify poor commanders as well as units lacking instruction or training'. The French EM followed another path to fight boredom: military education. In December 1939, the head of the French Army ordered the redaction of reports on 'officers' and soldiers' morale'.
