In the past century Western attitudes toward the soldier’s death
have undergone a remarkable transformation. Widely accepted at the
time of the First World War – when nearly ten million soldiers
died in uniform – as a redemptive sacrifice on behalf of the
nation, the soldier’s death is increasingly regarded as an
unacceptable tragedy. In Dying for France Ian Germani considers
this transformation in the context of the history of France over
the expanse of five centuries, from the Renaissance to the present.
Blending military history with the history of culture and
mentalities, Germani explores key episodes in the history of
France’s wars to show how patriotic models of the soldier’s
death eclipsed those inspired by the aristocratic code of honour,
before themselves giving way to disillusioned representations.
First-hand testimony of soldiers, surgeons, and others provides the
basis for vivid descriptions of how a soldier encountered death, on
and away from the battlefield. Works of art and print culture are
used to analyze how soldiers’ deaths were represented to the
public and to discern how popular attitudes evolved over time.
Encompassing France’s major external conflicts and its civil
wars, this study also considers the experiences of soldiers
recruited from the French colonial empire. Relating changes in the
perception of military mortality to broader changes in society’s
relationship with death, Dying for France highlights essential
turning points in the rise and fall of the patriotic ideal of the
soldier’s death.
General
Imprint: |
McGill-Queen's University Press
|
Country of origin: |
Canada |
Series: |
McGill-Queen's Studies in the History of Ideas |
Release date: |
March 2023 |
Authors: |
Ian Germani
|
Dimensions: |
229 x 152mm (L x W) |
Format: |
Hardcover
|
Pages: |
520 |
ISBN-13: |
978-0-228-01635-9 |
Categories: |
Books
|
LSN: |
0-228-01635-5 |
Barcode: |
9780228016359 |
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