M. Hamel inscribed 'Vive La France!' on the backboard to express his affection for both his nation and the French language. In addition, he was demonstrating his opposition to Germany's occupation of France. At the time of his death in 1917 at the age of 44, M. Hamel was regarded as one of the greatest guitarists in the world. During World War I, French musicians joined forces with their Italian counterparts to protest against Italy's participation in the war. The movement came to be known as the Musicians' Union and its goal was to have Italy offer its own territory if it wanted to join the war effort. However, the Italians refused this proposal and continued fighting alongside Germany. In response to this situation, M. Hamel wrote "Vive La France!" on his backboard so listeners would know that he was opposed to Germany's occupation of France. He also wanted to show his support for his country during this difficult time. After the war ended, many musicians went back to touring Europe but M. Hamel decided not to travel again because he felt that music was not worth all the trouble and danger involved. He did, however, start a school for guitar students in Paris where he taught them how to play like him.