The early years of Third French Republic (1880-1914) saw multiple political factions vying for
the legacy of the French Revolution. This book examines one of those factions the anarchist
movement and the role played by the French Revolution in its political thought and action. The
French Revolution became a vital if not well recognized tool of the anarchist movement to
popularize and legitimize its revolutionary activity while engaged in a struggle with other
political forces of the Republic to claim ownership over the Revolutionary heritage. The
anarchists of the Third Republic wrote histories of the Revolution that reflected their own
political orientation. They asserted themselves as part of the intellectual tradition of the
Enlightenment which they believed had helped spark the Revolution. The anarchists appropriated
the music and popular culture of the French Revolution in their own propaganda. Moreover they
orchestrated revolutionary action and political theatre on the day most associated with the
Revolution July 14. In the Revolution the anarchists saw glimmers of hope precursors to
their own movement as well as an effective means to present their message to a wider audience
as they also offered models for others to imitate.
