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.
