(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #242 - Read: Jean-Yves Le Naour and A.Dan "Blame the South" (fr, pt)

[machine translation]

In August 1914, around Morhange and Sarrebourg the French lines are set in motion in order 
to break through the German lines. Called in the XVth Corps ("the provenciaux") engages in 
what would become the Battle of Lorraine and that will seal his fate. Nearly ten thousand 
men will find death, lack of strategic errors generals whose comics shows perfectly 
stubbornness, cruelty and stupidity! ---- Denying responsibility and questioning their 
strategy, the hierarchy will have to start looking for a scapegoat. And it is found! The 
quotas of the South, the bad reputation! We follow the descent into hell Auguste Odde 
(main character) 's suspected of cowardice and risking the death penalty. ---- The comic 
tells us that dark history and caricature trials of soldiers accused of having mutilated 
to be repatriated (one of two sentenced to death with Augustus is a Corsican named Joseph 
Tomasini, unable to speak French, which will be judged no say), defended by a "lawyer" 
speaking only redemption of the soul before going to the firing squad... She also reminds 
us of something else, otherwise this would have been as possible: the existence of an 
"internal racism" where French South are seen as lazy, cowardly, living on the labor of 
the people of North...

The comic, in addition to rehabilitate the memory of these young people, beautifully 
illustrates the absurdity of war, racism, and somehow the hierarchy. More we progress, the 
more disgust, sadness, nervousness when seeing the main character insists naively believe 
in justice, we invaded. With the stroke of a simple but effective pencil, cartoonist Dan 
A. recreates the atmosphere quite well. Recommended! Note an additional annex to the end 
of the book on the dead soldiers Midi for example.

Nicolas (AL Moselle)

? The Naur, Jean-Yves and A.Dan, Blame the Midi , Bamboo Collection Wide Angle, 2014, 46 
pages, EUR 13.90.