Working Paper: CEPR ID: DP18211
Authors: Victor Gay; Pauline Grosjean
Abstract: This article describes the construction and content of the Morts pour laFrance database. This database contains individual-level data on the universeof the 1.3 million French fatalities of the Great War who were officiallyrecognized as war victims. It provides information on each soldier’sfirst and last names, dates of birth and death, recruitment status, militaryrank and unit, and places of birth and of recruitment. We further providea dataset of military death rates at the level of 35 thousand municipalitiesand discuss avenues for future research using this data.
Keywords: France; World War I; Military Fatalities; Demographics; Economic History
JEL Codes: N44; D74; J11
Edges that are evidenced by causal inference methods are in orange, and the rest are in light blue.
| Cause | Effect |
|---|---|
| Military fatalities (H56) | Demographic structure of France (J11) |
| Demographic structure of France (J11) | Long-term decline in fertility rates (J11) |
| Military fatalities (H56) | Gender imbalance that disrupted marriage markets (J12) |
| Labor supply shock (J20) | Integration of war widows and single women into the labor force (J21) |
| Military fatalities (H56) | Economic conditions (E66) |
| Military fatalities (H56) | Political dynamics (D72) |