The Military Enlightenment: War and Culture in the French Empire from Louis XIV to Napoleon

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By Christy Pichichero ’98

Published Feb. 12, 2018

Transforming progressive ideas into practice, the French military was one of the few institutions to actualize Enlightenment theories. The Military Enlightenment explains how the ideas in the Geneva Convention, awareness of post-traumatic stress disorder, and soldier heroism all originated in the 18th century French military.

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PAW's October 2026 cover, featuring a photo of a loaf of challah bread and the headline "The Braids That Bind."
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