Understanding the Franco-Prussian War

One hundred and fifty years after a war that many appear to have forgotten, the French State faced a large-scale mobilisation and high expectations from the regions that still bear traces of the conflict in remembrance sites and local commemorative practices.

Founded in 1887, Le Souvenir Français is a “child” of the Republic. It was founded in response to the Republican government’s desire to use the memory of the Franco-Prussian War to “build a nation”. An heir to that conflict, it has always played an active role in its remembrance.

A student of Lorraine University, Charlotte Schénique is interested in the history and heritage of the Franco-Prussian War in the region. She also works at the Musée de la Guerre de 1870 et de l’Annexion, in Gravelotte.