International Social Science Journal (Chinese Edition)

No.2, 2024

The Revolution in History， Commemoration， and Memory

(Abstract)

Pascal Dupuy

The French Revolution was fought with an intensity that has enabled it to extend well beyond the chronological limits of its particular history. Few historical events past or present can boast a presence which is so dynamic that it has endured ever since, thus revealing its continuing relevance. The historiography that seized upon the Revolution from its beginnings was one of the vectors of this perpetual memorialization, assisted by many other conduits. Thus the various commemorations that, from the first centenary in 1889, celebrated the event in 1939 and 1989 also gave rise to polemics and controversies that encouraged reflection on its character as heritage. Finally, memory of the Revolution from 1789 to the present day has similarly distinguished itself by the fervent opposition between admirers and detractors of its achievements in a symbolic effervescence expressed in media ranging from literature to still or moving images.