Under the Shadow of Defeat

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.

Introduction * Political Fallout * The Cult of the Dead * Taboos * Memories for the Masses * Legacies of l’annee terrible * Martyrdom and Resistance * The Lost Provinces * Arming the Nation * Conclusion