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Bastille Day Military Parade Information

Bastille Day Military Parade (or 14 July Military Parade, translation of the French name of Défilé militaire du 14 juillet) is a French military parade that has been held on the morning of 14 July each year in Paris since 1880, almost without exception.

The parade passes down the Champs-Elysées from l’Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde where the President of the French Republic, his government and foreign ambassadors to France stand. This is a popular event in France, broadcast on French TV, and is the oldest and largest regular military parade in the world. In some years, invited detachments of foreign troops take part in the parade and foreign statesmen attend as guests.

Smaller military parades are held in French garrison towns (like Toulon and Belfort) with local troops.

Contents

Organization

Saint-Cyr cadets parading on the 14 July 2007 Republican Guard Infantry in ceremonial uniform Nicolas Sarkozy, President of the French Republic and General Jean-Louis Georgelin, Chief of the Defence Staff reviewing the troops The Military Parade occurs on the Champs-Élysées Avenue, from the Arc de Triomphe to the Place de la Concorde, where French officials and foreign guests view the ceremony.

The parade opens with cadets from the military schools in order of seniority: the École Polytechnique, the Saint-Cyr, the École Navale, followed by newer academies. The Patrouille de France leads the fly-past.

Recently, it has become customary to invite units from France’s close allies to participate in the parade. For instance, in 2004, to mark the centenary of the Entente Cordiale, British troops (the band of the Royal Marines, the Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment, Grenadier Guards and King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery) led the Bastille Day parade in Paris, with the Red Arrows flying overhead. While British troops had participated in the Bastille Day parades of 14 July 1919 and 1939 (see below), this was the first occasion that invited foreign troops had actually led the parade. [1]. In 2007, the parade opened with detachments from all member states of the European Union, flying the European flag. The European anthem was played.

The parade follows with foot soldiers: army Infantry; troupes de Marine; Air; Gendarmerie, including the French Republican Guard; and occasionally non-military police units. The French Foreign Legion always brings up the rear of this part of the parade, because their ceremonial marching pace is slower than that of other French infantry units and it's the only regiment that not split up when passing by the officials and the army headquarters' tribune.

Motorised and armoured troops come next, and the parade traditionally ends with the much-cheered and popular Paris Fire Brigade (which is a military unit).

At the same time, above the Champs-Elysées, the flypast continues with French Air Force and Naval Air Force planes and helicopters.

History

Originally a popular feast, Bastille day became militarized during the Directory. Under Napoléon, the celebration lost much of its importance, though it came back into fashion during the Third Republic. The Fête de la Fédération became the official national celebration on the 28 June 1880, and a decree of 6 July the same year linked a military parade to it. Between 1880 and 1914 the celebrations were held at at the hippodrome of Longchamps, Paris.

Since World War I the parade has been held on the Champs-Élysées, the first occasion being the défilé de la Victoire (“Victory parade”) led by Marshals Joseph Joffre, Ferdinand Foch and Philippe Pétain on 14 July 1919. This was not however a French National Holiday parade, although held upon the same date, but one agreed upon by the Allied delegations to the Versailles Peace Conference. A separate Victory parade of Allied troops was held in London four days later[1].

On the occasion of the 14 July 1919 parade in Paris, detachments from all of France's World War I allies took part in the parade, together with colonial and North African units from France's overseas Empire[2]. The latter, most notably squadrons of Algerian Spahis mounted on Arab horses and in traditional full dress uniform, continued to participate in the annual parade until the end of the Algerian War in 1962.

In the Second World War, the German troops occupying Paris and Northern France paraded along the same route. A victory parade under General de Gaulle was held upon the restoration in 1945 of Paris to French rule while within the period of occupation by the Germans a company of the commando Kieffer of the Forces Navales Françaises Libres had continued the French National Holiday parade in the streets of London.

In 1971 female personnel were included for the first time amongst the troops parading.

Under Valéry Giscard d'Estaing the parade route was changed each year with troops marching down from the place de la Bastille to the place de la République to commemorate popular outbreaks of the French Revolution [2] :

Under Presidents, François Mitterrand and Jacques Chirac the parade route returned to the Champs-Elysées where it continues to be held.

In 1994, troop of the Eurocorps, including German soldiers, paraded on the invitation of François Mitterrand. The event was seen as symbolic of both European integration, and German-French reconciliation [3].

In 1999, for the “Year of Morocco” in France, the Morocco Royal Guard opened the parade, in the presence of King Hassan II of Morocco.

In 2002, the cadets of the United States Military Academy paraded.

In 2004, British troops paraded to celebrate the centenary of the Entente cordiale. On an earlier occasion detachments of the British Brigade of Guards and Royal Marines had participated in the Bastille Day Parade of 14 July 1939, shortly before the outbreak of World War II[3].

In 2005, “year of Brazil” in France, two Brazilian units opened the parade and the Smoke Squadron (a Brazilian air demonstration squadron) ended the fly-past in the presence of President Lula.

In 2007, president Nicolas Sarkozy invited all the 26 other EU member states to join the parade with a division of their armed services.[4]

2008's Bastille Day Parade saw a United Nations Security Council/Secretariat-DPKO battalion leading the parade march past. Among them included JGSDF soldiers serving under UNDOF.[5]

In 2009, the parade opened with a contingent of Indian troops drawn from the three services (Indian Army, Indian Navy & Indian Air Force.[6] President Nicolas Sarkozy, invited Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, to attend the event as the guest of honour. Soldiers including Jawans of Maratha Light Infantry[7] Regiment Centre (MLIRC) marched down the Champs Elysees to the sound of an Indian military band playing Indian martial tunes including Saare Jahan Se Achcha, Haste Lushai and Kadam Kadam Badaye Ja[8].

To celebrate the 50 years of independence of the French African colonies, the 2010 parade saw troops from several former French African colonies' armed forces lead the parade.

Composition of the parade

March past in slow and quick time

Mounted Column

Mobile Column

Aerial Flypast Column

Gallery

French troops

The cavalry regiment of the Republican Guard opening the Military parade

The red-crested musicians of the Republican Guard cavalry

The 1st infantry regiment of the Republican Guard during Bastille day

Cadets of the École polytechnique

Cadets of the Military Interarms School

Cadets of the National Active Non-Commissioned Officers School

Cadets of the School of the Air

21st Regiment of Marine infantry

Regimental flag of the 1st Marine Fusiliers

A Chasseur Alpin after the parade

1st Regiment of Spahis

126th Line Infantry

511th Transport Regiment

National Gendarmerie's officer cadets

Flag of the French National Police and the Security Service of the Interior Minister (SSMI)

ENSOP trainees

Flag guard of the French Firefighting Academy

The Paris Fire Brigade

The French Foreign Legion is always the last infantry unit to parade because of its slower marching pace, led by its sappers

Motorized parade

The motorbikes of the French Republican Guard opening the motorized parade

Leclerc main battle tank

AMX 10 RC tank destroyer

ERC 90 Sagaie light tank

VAB armoured support vehicle

AMX-10P, infantry fighting vehicle

VBL Armoured light vehicle

Armored bulldozer of the Génie

The Paris Fire Brigade closing the motorized parade

Air Force

The Patrouille de France's Alphajets

A Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS) followed by five Mirages 2000

Foreign guests

In 2002, the cadets of the United States Military Academy at West Point open the parade as guest troops

A Brazilian army band as guest participants, in 2005

In 2007, one regiment from each European member-state paraded on the Champs-Élysées (here, the Fallschirmjäger of 26th Air Assault Brigade)

The National Guards Unit of Bulgaria (2007)

The Spanish Legion (2007)

Austrian Guard Company (2007)

Portuguese Navy Fusiliers on parade (2007)

Slovene honor company (2007)

Romanian National Guard (2007)

Swedish Royal Guard (2007)

The Dutch Prince of Orange Hussars Regiment (2007)

In 2008, a United Nations battalion opens the parade

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Bastille Day military parade

References

  1. ^ London 'Peace Parade' 19 July 1919 Retrieved 12 August 2010
  2. ^ pages 50-51 "To Lose a Battle - France 1940, ISBN 0-333-53601-0
  3. ^ page181 "The Illustrated London News - Marching to War 1933-39", ISBN1 85170 265 2
  4. ^ Join the parade, Sarkozy tells EU armies, Daily Telegraph, 08/06/2007
  5. ^ Bastille Day Military Parade.
  6. ^ Parade 14 July 2009 - Indian army
  7. ^ Indian army open the military march down the Champs Elysees
  8. ^ Indian army practicing for Bastille day parade in France

Categories: Military of France | Military parades

 

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