2.7 Symbols of French Nationalism

Should nation be the foundation of nationalism?

Big Idea:

  • Nationalism shows its effects in various ways, including through important symbols.

Every country has symbols of nationalism, but the most obvious symbols of a country's national pride are usually its flag and national anthem. The colours and symbols on a country's flag usually represent important visual images for that country, and the music and words in a country's national anthem are meant to encourage national pride when citizens, as a group, listen to or sing the words. Together, these images and sounds are intended to help promote a national identity for the country's citizens and to make the country identifiable around the world.

Despite the confusion of the French Revolution, something important was going on in the minds of French people at that time. The French people were becoming nationalistic. This meant they were taking control of their own destiny, forcing a new nation-state and a new society for all its citizens.

Many of France's national symbols had their beginnings in the French Revolution. Click the tabs below to explore the various symbols from the French Revolution, and take notes using the 2.7 Notebook Organizer below.


The storming of the Bastille on July 14, 1789 immediately became a symbol of French nationalism. It was proof that power no longer resided in the King, but rather in the people. July 14, now Bastille Day, is celebrated as a national holiday in France. Refer to page 2.6.1 of this course to review the events of Bastille Day, or read Time Magazine's summary of Bastille Day here.


In 1789, Louis was forced to accept the tricolour cockade in official recognition of the Revolution. A "cockade" is a knot of ribbons, or other circular/oval symbol of distinctive colours, that is usually worn on a hat. Red and blue were historic colours that represented the city of Paris. The colour white represented the monarchy. Wearing the cockade soon became mandatory for revolutionaries.

The sign pictured here, from the early 1790s, reads:
In the name of the law, it is prohibited to enter without a cockade, or to use any other title than citizen.

The Tricolour cockade was usually worn on a hat, and the hat for French revolutionaries was the Phrygian (pronounced "free-jee-ahn) cap (made of red felt or wool) which had its origins in ancient Greece. During the Roman Empire, slaves who had won their freedom wore the cap. Before the Revolution, the cap had became a symbol of liberty in Europe, and the French took that meaning seriously. Soldiers in the revolutionary army often wore the cap as part of their uniforms. Because of its red colour, the Phrygian cap in France came to be known as the bonnet rouge (red cap), but it was also referred to as bonnet de la liberté (liberty cap). During The Terror, many wore the cap to show their support for the revolution (though avoiding suspicion and perhaps the guillotine may have also been incentives.)

The Declaration of the Rights of Man and the Citizen, adopted by the National Assembly in the early days of the French Revolution, was meant as a pledge of what the Assembly intended to accomplish for the people of France. It was full of grand ideas, such as individual freedom, equality, and nationalism. Read the French document or an English translation of the Declaration.

During the war with Austria and Prussia, French nationalism increased. The French people were taking the first steps in forming the nation-state of France with loyalty to the nation of the French people, not just to the king. The Austrian and Prussian monarchies were attacking France to put a stop to the Revolution and to put Louis XVI back in power as an absolute monarch.


Map of Europe: 1783 to 1792

© Wikimedia Commons


Why did these foreign monarchies want to stop the Revolution? They saw the French Revolution as a threat to their own power. The Austrian and Prussian monarchies believed if the Revolution were allowed to continue, then revolutions could happen in their own kingdoms. Pride may have been an issue as well; how dare mere commoners attack the traditional divine right of kings and their absolute power!

Defeat by the Prussian and Austrian armies would have meant the end of the Revolution. The end of the Revolution would have meant a return to the Ancien Régime. It would also most likely have meant death for many revolutionaries who took part in the Revolution, which was treason against the French monarchy.

Instead of buckling under the pressure of invasion, the revolutionaries rose to the challenge with patriotism. Frenchmen joined the Revolutionary army. The victory of France's army at Valmy also provided the French with symbols of nationalism. They had pride in their army and a sense of accomplishment in the victory.

When the combined Prussian and Austrian armies were advancing on the French capital of Paris in July 1792, the French people rallied to the cry of Liberté, Égalité, Fraternité (Liberty, Equality, and Brotherhood) in the defence of France. This phrase is still used today.

  • Liberty meant freedom for all French citizens.*
  • Equality meant all French citizens were equal, contrary to three estates, where nobles or clergy had special privileges.
  • Fraternity meant "brotherhood". French citizens had a common heritage as a French nation. Notice that being loyal to the king was not included. Rather, loyalty to the French nation was evolving.

*Note: "all French citizens" did not necessarily mean everyone in France. France was still a male-dominated society in which women were not always treated equally to men. For example, women did not have the right to vote. The third point about fraternity, which means "brotherhood" not "sisterhood", was not actually all-inclusive.

 


During late summer, 1792, French soldiers from Marseille (a city south of Paris) marched into Paris to help fight the Prussian and Austrian armies. They sang a song that eventually became France's national anthem: La Marseillaise. Read the French and English lyrics to La Marseillaise, and listen to the song to get a sense of the patriotic pride, the nationalism, that the song brought out in the French people. Another song to listen to is "Do You Hear the People Sing" which reflects the sentiment and patriotism in France. What images of France do you imagine when you read or listen to these French songs?




A tricolour flag (blue, white, red) representing France evolved by 1794. France uses this flag today.
Blue – Liberty  Red – Equality  White – Brotherhood


Source: Wikimedia Commons
Nationalist symbols based on women also arose during the Revolution. Some of both genders called for equal rights for women, but women's rights did not improve significantly. Most male revolutionaries were reluctant to allow women to have political roles, such as voting and holding public office. The generally accepted view among men (and even many women) was that a woman's place was in the home taking care of children. The main role of women, therefore, tended to be symbolic.
A fictional woman named Liberté (Liberty), who represented the ideals of the Republic, was invented and portrayed in artwork everywhere in France, often as the individual leading revolutionaries into battle. Liberté eventually became known as Marianne. To the present day, images of Marianne wearing a Phrygian cap are depicted on French postage stamps, money, and even as a symbol of France's government. During recent decades, French actresses and fashion models have portrayed Marianne in the French media.

Go to your textbook, Understanding Nationalism, and read page 43, 48 to 51. These pages will further your understanding of the French Revolution's symbols of nationalism.
Take notes using the 2.7 Notebook Organizer (Word, PDF, Google Doc ) about what you have read and viewed. Refer to the How to Take Notes tutorial if needed. When you are done, return here to continue.