The chapter begins by highlighting important differences between Lorraine and the Auvergne which explain the weaker sense of identity in the latter, principally its remoteness, poverty and economic backwardness. It then shows how a sense of regional identity was created from the late nineteenth century through the activities of a middle-class intellectual elite. The chapter then discusses the sense of regional identity in war time and how far regional solidarity was expressed through various philanthropic activities. Lastly it analyses the operation of the region and the chamber of commerce in Clermont-Ferrand and the effectiveness of the leadership.