Under the Shadow of Defeat : The War of 1870-71 in French Memory

The French defeat of 1870-1 sparked soul-searching and a reassessment of the character of the nation. This book is the first to explore how memories of the Franco-Prussian War shaped French political culture and identities. It argues that these memories reawakened deep political divisions, distorting them through the prism of the "terrible year." It sheds new light on how people constructed memories not only to define and articulate their ideas, but also to situate themselves within new concepts of France. Based on extensive archival research, this book is the first wide-ranging analysis of how memories of the Franco-Prussian War shaped French political culture and identities. Examining war remembrance as an emerging mass phenomenon in Europe, it sheds new light on the relationship between memories and the emergence of new concepts of the nation.$bThe French defeat by Germany of 1870-71 was profoundly humiliating, sparking widespread soul-searching, intense political conflict, and a fundamental reassessment of the character of the nation. Based on extensive new archival research, this book is the first wide-ranging analysis of how memories of the Franco-Prussian War shaped French political culture and identities in the period thereafter. It argues that these memories reawakened deeply-rooted political divisions, distorting them through the prism of the 'terrible year'. Examining the emergence of war remembrance as a mass phenomenon for the first time in Europe, it explores the cult of the dead, the construction of war memorials, 'pilgrimages' to sites of remembrance, art, and literature relating to the war. It sheds new light on how groups and individuals constructed memories not only to define and articulate their ideas, but also to situate themselves within new political concepts of the nation Front Matter....Pages i-xi Introduction....Pages 1-24 Political Fallout....Pages 25-55 The Cult of the Dead....Pages 56-76 Taboos....Pages 77-103 Memories for the Masses....Pages 104-128 Legacies of l’année terrible....Pages 129-151 Martyrdom and Resistance....Pages 152-174 The Lost Provinces....Pages 175-202 Arming the Nation....Pages 203-226 Conclusion....Pages 227-234 Back Matter....Pages 235-299 A wide-ranging analysis of the political and cultural impact of the French defeat of 1870-71 and the emergence of widespread war remembrance for the first time in European history