The French military song from the Napoleonic era *Chanson de l’Oignon* offers insight into the everyday mentality of the French rank and file during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Onions, valued for their durability and perceived health benefits, were a common part of the French soldier’s ration and became a point of pride.
The song even contrasts this with the Austrian army, which is explicitly mocked for lacking onions. “*Pas d’oignons pour les Autrichiens*” was less of a literal claim than a rhetorical one: portraying the Austrians as dependent on rigid supply systems and incapable of sustaining long, flexible campaigns.
The insult functioned as morale reinforcement, framing French logistical austerity as superiority rather than deprivation.
BlatantPlatitude on
Has a revolution and has to invent a completely new calendar as well, just because.
Unofficial_Computer on
There are *a lot* of Soviet songs about meeting a woman.
The-marx-channel on
Then you have Ireland who made a song about how British soldiers are gay
LordTungsten on
Spain just whistles
Ok_Package38 on
AU PAS CAMARADES, AU PAS CAMARADES, AU PAS AU PAS AU PAS
C’mon at least be a little creative with the US one. They have a song where a paratrooper dies a gruesome, horrific death… I guess the point was to talk about the French Onion song, so just use the US song where they talk about bringing wagons to the artillery.
Comfortable_Swan64 on
Meanwhile, Poland: sings about spanking the Bolsheviks
treegor on
You ever had an onion? I’d March to war singing about them too.
Kyrah_Dragoness on
Pas d’onions aux Autrichiens, pas d’onions à çes chiens!
11 Comments
The French military song from the Napoleonic era *Chanson de l’Oignon* offers insight into the everyday mentality of the French rank and file during the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars.
Onions, valued for their durability and perceived health benefits, were a common part of the French soldier’s ration and became a point of pride.
The song even contrasts this with the Austrian army, which is explicitly mocked for lacking onions. “*Pas d’oignons pour les Autrichiens*” was less of a literal claim than a rhetorical one: portraying the Austrians as dependent on rigid supply systems and incapable of sustaining long, flexible campaigns.
The insult functioned as morale reinforcement, framing French logistical austerity as superiority rather than deprivation.
Has a revolution and has to invent a completely new calendar as well, just because.
There are *a lot* of Soviet songs about meeting a woman.
Then you have Ireland who made a song about how British soldiers are gay
Spain just whistles
AU PAS CAMARADES, AU PAS CAMARADES, AU PAS AU PAS AU PAS
Some countries sing about [playing card, drinking and that horses don’t have enough hay](https://youtu.be/RyOqmk32xdA?si=8JjbB5siqJYXBh0l)
And then there’s the [D-Day Dodgers](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4hny_XRaw4)
C’mon at least be a little creative with the US one. They have a song where a paratrooper dies a gruesome, horrific death… I guess the point was to talk about the French Onion song, so just use the US song where they talk about bringing wagons to the artillery.
Meanwhile, Poland: sings about spanking the Bolsheviks
You ever had an onion? I’d March to war singing about them too.
Pas d’onions aux Autrichiens, pas d’onions à çes chiens!