A bilingual poster in which the exiled Prime Minister of Belgium, Hubert Pierlot, addresses his people shortly before the liberation of Belgium from the Nazi occupier in September 1944, encouraging them for the final campaign and instructing them how to act - in French and Dutch. On the other side, a speech by General Eisenhower to the citizens of France shortly before its liberation by the Allies in August 1944 - also in French and Dutch, in which he announces the coming victory over Nazi Germany and instructs them how to act. Rare.
"AU PEUPLE BELGE - My dear compatriots..." - The exiled Prime Minister of Belgium, Hubert Pierlot , who was at that time in England, appeals to his people on the eve of the liberation of Belgium from Nazi occupation, in French and Dutch: "The hour you have so long awaited is near, the operations for the liberation of Europe have begun, this initial attack is the sure sign of your redemption... The Allies are deeply grateful to you for the great resistance you have shown under German oppression, and the government is convinced you will do everything possible to help thwart the German war machine. The ultimate success of the military effort now underway depends in large measure on the strength you conserve for the decisive moment... The moment of final combat has not yet arrived, when it is heard you will be immediately informed by the Allied Command and your government, they will then clearly tell you what is expected of you, use this interim period to perfect your organizations, so that when the time comes your action will be effective. In the increased suffering that will perhaps mark the last stage of the war, all Belgians will need, more than ever, to show mutual devotion and will need to employ all the resources still available to relieve the misery of the hardest hit victims. The key words we send you are: courage, discipline, solidarity, confidence".
General Dwight Eisenhower, Supreme Commander of the Allied Forces in French and Dutch under the headline: “Allied armies land” : “People of Western Europe! Allied expeditionary forces have landed on the coast of France. This landing is part of the united plan of the UN, in conjunction with our great Russian allies to liberate Europe... Your hour of liberation is approaching... To all patriots... there is a role in our march towards final victory, to members of resistance movements directed from within or from outside I say “Act on the instructions you have received!" To patriots not members of organized resistance groups I say: “Continue your valuable opposition but do not needlessly endanger your lives, wait for the hour when I give you the signal to rise up and strike the enemy... French citizens! I am proud to again command the valiant soldiers of France... A premature uprising of French civilians may prevent you, when the decisive hour arrives, from serving your country even better... Stay alert!... The purpose of this campaign is the final crushing of the enemy , you may have to suffer more loss and destruction, but grievous as these may be they are part of the price of victory. I assure you I will do all in my power to alleviate your hardships... The heroic deeds by the French who carried on the struggle against the Nazis and the Vichy collaborators in France and the French Empire have been for all of us a model and inspiration... This landing is but the opening phase of the campaign in Western Europe. Great battles lie ahead. I call upon all free men to rally to our side, let nothing shake your faith, nothing will stop our blows...".
[4] pages. Each page 22x13 cm. The two posters are reinforced with adhesive tape along their connecting strip. Good condition..
