Le Militaire, l'écolier, le gymnaste: Naissance de l'éducation physique en France: 1869-1889

This study examines the dissemination of school gymnastics in the early days of the Third Republic of France and its propagation as a tool for the premilitary training of  young male  to peprare their bodies and souls for the universal military service. In this context  a new culture of the male body and its service for the French nation developed. The model for this movement  was the sucessful and popular German Turner (gymnastics) movement. After the defeat in the French-German War 1870/71 the rethinking of the physical education of young men was discussed in France as part of their training for military readiness and national identification.