Serving France in Rome: The zouaves pontificaux and the french nation

Simpson, Martin

Abstract

This article examines the French contingent of the pontifical zouaves, the volunteer force that defended the territory of the papacy in the decade 1860-70. Attention is focused on the zouave myth-though it must be recognized that the zouaves themselves actively participated in the construction of their legend. With its emphasis on pain, sacrifice and expiatory suffering and a powerful emotional dimension, the zouave legend can be aligned with the mid-century revival and was employed to teach Catholic lessons. Above all, however, the champions of the zouaves stressed that the zouaves were French patriots to be placed alongside figures such Clovis, Charlemagne, Saint-Louis and Joan of Arc: serving the papacy was the French national mission. Lastly the zouaves were identified with an enduring counter-revolutionary tradition: the zouaves appealed to a large constituency who defined themselves in opposition to the values of 1789 and the Third Republic. © 2013 The Author.

Citation

Simpson, M. (2013). Serving France in Rome: The zouaves pontificaux and the french nation. French History, 27(1), 69-90. https://doi.org/10.1093/fh/crs120

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Publication Date: Mar 1, 2013
• Deposit Date: Jul 15, 2013
• Journal: French History
• Print ISSN: 0269-1191
• Electronic ISSN: 1477-4542
• Publisher: Oxford University Press (OUP)
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 27
• Issue: 1
• Pages: 69-90
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1093/fh/crs120
• Keywords: papal zouaves, Catholicism, Counter-Revolution
• Public URL: https://uwe-repository.worktribe.com/output/936363
• Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/fh/crs120