Nineteenth-Century Memory, Militarism and Martial Character: Marking the Limits of National Identity Between France and Its Rivals (1815-1918)

Abstract

The nineteenth century, often described as Europe’s "Century of Peace," was paradoxically a period of intense public fascination with war. As the continent transitioned from the devastation of the Napoleonic Wars to an era of relative stability, the memory of conflict, the spectacle of militarism, and the discourse surrounding national character became central to the construction of modern national identities. This dissertation explores how France and its rivals—particularly Britain and Germany — used military discourse to define their national characters during a time of profound social, cultural, and political transformation. It argues that a growing discourse around military policies and memory formed a vital forum for the defining of national identity in nineteenth-century Europe. In particular, reflections on battlefield behaviors facilitated the discernment of differences in national character that ultimately marked the dividing line between rival communities. Through an analysis of battlefield tourism, artistic representations of war, military literature, and public debates, this work argues that war memory and military discourse provided a unique lens through which nations articulated their distinct identities. Battlefields, once sites of violence, were transformed into symbolic spaces where civilians engaged with the past, fostering a sense of national belonging. At the same time, reflections about martial character, military models, and the role of the armed forces in society often revealed these societies’ deeper anxieties about modernity and each nation’s search for a distinct approach to confronting modernity.