Village d'Alsace

The box for this Puzzle des alliés sports the flags of France, Great Britain, Belgium and Russia and contained a promotional flyer advertising this, along with many other available sizes and styles of patriotic games and puzzles.
I am very grateful to Jacques Vélu for his commentary about the subject in this fine puzzle.
Dated 1914 next to the signature of French illustrator Fabien Fabiano (1883-1962), this Peplexité-Paris, semi-interlocking plywood puzzle features a patriotic scene from Alsace soon after the arrival of French soldiers at the beginning of the Great War.
Alsace, which was French since the 17th century, was annexed, along with much of Lorraine, by the newly-born Germany as an aftermath of the disastrously lost 1870 war, thus as soon as the 1914-18 conflict began, French troops invaded Mulhouse, the most important city of South Alsace. The population cheered French as liberators but just 4 days later Germany drove them out and punished Mulhouse citizens who acclaimed the French.
The French soldiers, here being warmly welcomed by the local people, are seen wearing red pants which were soon found to be excellent targets for German snipers and for this reason, along with the German origins of the red dye used, the uniforms were changed in 1915 to grey blue (bleu horizon) with the new dyes being supplied by the UK.

Artist: Fabiano, Fabien
Date: c1915/16
Brand: Puzzles Peplexité, Les
Material: Plywood
Nationality: France
Pieces: 250
Size: 13 1/2" x 9 3/4"
Theme: Miltary
Title: Village d'Alsace