Publication
Title
A small parade towards the Great War. The cultural militarization of Remembrance Day in Belgium, 1870-1914
Title: Een kleine parade naar de Grote Oorlog. De militarisering van de Belgische national feesten, 1870-1914
Author
Abstract
This paper presents a new perspective on Belgian civil-military relations in the decades before World War One. 'Brave little Belgium' played a central role in the war effort, but it is seldom connected to pre-war militarization in western Europe. On the contrary, Belgium has been categorized as an antimilitaristic nation. By mapping the civil-military interactions during Remembrance Day, this article aims to shed light on forgotten militarization processes in the cultural domain. The assessment of military elements in the ceremonial landscape nuances the traditional perspective of a broad civil-military gap in Belgian society. It is indeed true that an official military cult was virtually absent from the national festivities. Nonetheless, this research unveils a process of civilian militarization that was previously overlooked. From 1890 onwards militaristic associations and local authorities jointly instigated promotion of the military through parades, war commemorations, and demonstrations.
Language
English
Source (journal)
Tijdschrift voor geschiedenis. - Amersfoort, 1886, currens
Publication
Amersfoort : A.M. Slothouwer , 2015
ISSN
0040-7518 [print]
2352-1163 [online]
DOI
10.5117/TVGESCH2015.2.MUEL
Volume/pages
128 :2 (2015) , p. 269-291
ISI
000357837900005
Full text (Publisher's DOI)
Full text (publisher's version - intranet only)
UAntwerpen
Faculty/Department
Research group
Project info
Military service as civic duty? A political-social history of the relationship between army and civilian society in Belgium (1830-1914)
Publication type
Subject
Affiliation
Publications with a UAntwerp address
External links
Web of Science
Record
Identifier
Creation 03.09.2015
Last edited 09.10.2023
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