„Wo alle Herzen heldenmüthig schlugen“ : Heroische Leitbilder in deutschen und französischen Militärselbstzeugnissen des Siebenjährigen Krieges, der Kriege der Französischen Revolution und der Napoleonischen Kriege

Abstract

This historiographical study deals with the transformation of heroic images of German and French soldiers and officers during the Seven Years' War and the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars. A culture of sensitivity, levée en masse and intensive forms of opinion management on the part of governments and military leaders led to a change in heroic-military role models, which was reflected in personal military testimonies. Following an interdisciplinary approach, the monograph uses narratives and self-portrayals to examine the heroization processes of military personnel and shows how combatants influenced and helped shape the culture of remembrance through their self-heroization.