International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.2, 2023

Military Festivals in the French Revolution (1789-1799)

(Abstract)

Li Weiyi

During the French Revolution, a number of military festivals arose. At the beginning of the revolution, spontaneous festivals were replaced by programmed festivals, with a typical example being the Festival of Federation. In the festivals, the civilians were excluded. Although there were no special military festivals during the Jacobin governance, they were gradually systematized during the Thermidor Reaction and the Directory. The use of numerous allegorical symbols and the distinction between the regular army and the National Guard show that these festivals were educational rather than festivals of integration.