Des aspects géographiques des sociétés de préparation militaire en France, 1870-1914

The history of France’s military preparation societies, which were about a hundred in the early 1870s and reached many thousands in 1914, is well known. However, the role of geography in the formation and functioning of these societies has been neglected. This study examines the role in seven separate departments (Ariège, Cantal, Finistère, Loir-et-Cher, Meurthe-et-Moselle, Pas-de-Calais and Vienne). It outlines the history of their respective societies of military preparation before focusing on the influence of geography on their spatial distribution. The article then examines the geographic discours of these companies: their promoting local geographical knowledge and teaching pride in their homeland, the latter relying in particular on understanding the topography, cartography, terrain and landscape of France.