The return of the Crusades: the July Monarchy and the construction of history in the 'Salles des Croisades' at Versailles

In 1837, Louis-Philippe of Orléans, ‘King of the French’, opened the Musée de l’Histoire de France in Versailles, a museum that celebrated the history of France. Louis-Philippe had come to power after the July Revolution of 1830, which had overthrown the reign of the Bourbon kings. A part of the Musée was dedicated to the Crusades, the Christian military expeditions in the Middle East during the Middle Ages: the Salles des Croisades. This thesis discusses how the history of the Crusades was constructed in the Salles, and how this construction is explained by the political and cultural context of the July Monarchy (1830-1848). In the Musée, the history of France was displayed in hundreds of history paintings. The July Monarchy was a constitutional monarchy, and presented itself as a ‘golden mean’ between popular power and royal absolutism. By displaying the history of France as a united whole in the Musée, the regime hoped to heal the wounds of fifty years of political division. In...Show moreIn 1837, Louis-Philippe of Orléans, ‘King of the French’, opened the Musée de l’Histoire de France in Versailles, a museum that celebrated the history of France. Louis-Philippe had come to power after the July Revolution of 1830, which had overthrown the reign of the Bourbon kings. A part of the Musée was dedicated to the Crusades, the Christian military expeditions in the Middle East during the Middle Ages: the Salles des Croisades. This thesis discusses how the history of the Crusades was constructed in the Salles, and how this construction is explained by the political and cultural context of the July Monarchy (1830-1848). In the Musée, the history of France was displayed in hundreds of history paintings. The July Monarchy was a constitutional monarchy, and presented itself as a ‘golden mean’ between popular power and royal absolutism. By displaying the history of France as a united whole in the Musée, the regime hoped to heal the wounds of fifty years of political division. In the Salles, Louis-Philippe equated French identity with Christianity, by depicting the roots of the French nation in the Crusades. The king had three political reasons for promoting the Christian identity of France: reconciliation, ideological justification and legitimation. Firstly, the construction of the history of the Crusades in the Salles was similar to a conservative vision of medieval history, in which the Christian religion was the guiding principle. By affirming the validity of this vision in the Salles, Louis-Philippe sought reconciliation with those who wanted a return to the ancien régime. Moreover, Christianity was depicted as a nationally unifying force, which corresponded with the king’s wish to reconcile political divisions. Secondly, an appeal to France’s obligations as a Christian nation, through making a historical parallel with the deeds of Saint Louis, ideologically justified the conquest of Algeria. Lastly, a focus on Christianity gave the July Monarchy a firm foundation in history, thereby making it less radical and less revolutionary. The potency of Crusading imagery is explained by several cultural trends. This thesis discusses a number of important cultural contexts, such as the rise of Romanticism, the politicized nature of history, the changing practice of history painting, attitudes towards the Middle Ages, the place of the Crusades in historiography, the French reactions to the Greek War of Independence, and the mythical image of Saint Louis.Show less

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The return of the Crusades: the July Monarchy and the construction of history in the 'Salles des Croisades' at Versailles