HUM-100 5-2 Skills in Humanities

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Southern New Hampshire University *

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Arts Humanities

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Jan 9, 2024

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Ryan Hetu HUM-100 5-2 2 April 2, 2022 Arc de Triomphe The cultural work that I selected was the Arc de Triomphe. The Arc stand in Paris, France on the bank of the river Seine, it was commissioned by Emperor Napoleon in 1806 after his victory at the Battle of Austerlitz. The Arc is roughly 164 feet tall, 148 feet wide and stands at the center of twelve avenues all leading to the Arc. Work began shortly after it was commissioned but the Arc was not completed until the King Louis-Philippe had it finished between 1833 and 1836. Since its completion, the body of Emperor Napoleon, armies of Germany in 1871, the French in 1919 passed under the Arc. Following World War I, France buried its unknown soldier beneath the Arc and all additional victory parades now pass by it rather than beneath it. Hitler in 1940 followed this custom as well as the allied forces in 1945. Since then, successful French military campaigns and the annual Bastille Day military parade march past the Arc de Triomphe upon returning to France. The work itself belonged originally to what I believe is the height of French Nationalism in the 1800s. Now much like the Statue of Liberty in the United States, the Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, or Big Ben in England; the Arc now belongs to all of France and is a symbol of the sacrifices that have been and must be made for the French way of life to endure. What was originally meant to commemorate an against all odds battle was made even more important when the unknown soldier was interned beneath the Arc. Countless monuments across the globe have been erected
in order to commemorate the sacrifice of the nation’s soldiers. The Arc de Triomphe is that monument for the French people. In a time where the French people were struggling against them selves and against the rest of Europe the idea of the monument was a symbol of pride for the French people. Even after Emperor Napoleon’s defeat, exile for the second time, and his eventual death. When his body was returned to France the procession passed beneath the Arc in a show of reverence. Every nation needs at least one symbol to tie their patriotism to so that their history and achievements are not lost. The visual and somewhat spiritual impact of monuments like the Arc de Triomphe are key to a culture surviving tumultuous times like revolution and world wars which unfortunately the French people have seen multiple. 2007, M. R. D. (c). (n.d.). History of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris France. Retrieved April 2, 2022, from https://www.placesinfrance.com/history_arc_de_triomphe.html Raymond, G. (1998). Historical dictionary of france . Scarecrow Press.
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