Liberté, égalité, fraternité

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Liberté, égalité, fraternité, French for "Liberty, equality, fraternity (brotherhood)", is the motto of the French Republic, and is a typical example of a tripartite motto.

The slogan of the French Revolution was Liberté, égalité, fraternité, ou la mort! (Freedom, equality, brotherhood, or death!). This slogan outlived the revolution, later becoming the rallying cry of the activists, both militant and non-violent, who promote democracy or overthrow of oppressive governments.

France currently uses the milder version "Liberté, égalité, fraternité" as its national motto. Those three words are sometimes associated with the three colors of the French flag, such as in the movie trilogy Three Colors, but there is no historical connection.

The French euro coins for 1 euro and for 2 euros have this motto stamped on the obverse side.

The motto appears in the 1946 and the 1958 French constitutions, and, although some disagreed with the ideal of liberty and equality, it became part of French heritage under the Third Republic.

Some former colonies of the French Republic (such as Chad, Niger, and Gabon) have adopted similar three-word mottoes.

During the German occupation of France in World War II, this motto was replaced by the phrase "Travail, famille, patrie" (Work, family, homeland) by the Marshall Petain, who made a constitutionnal coup in 1940 to become the leader of a new French pro-nazi Government supported by the Germans. This new motto in turn was parodied in some circles as "Trouvailles, famine, patrouilles" (Lucky finds, famine, patrols), a reference to the shortages and surveillance that occurred in Vichy France, as well as the efforts people made to survive.

The motto also appears on packs of Gauloises cigarettes.