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Abstract

Some ideas, whether right or wrong, seem never to die, whatever might be the general evolution of knowledge, of science, or simply of good common sense. This is exactly the case with physical education or sports. For centuries, and especially since the middle of the nineteenth century, its advocates have fought for recognition of its all-round virtues, taken as a concept. But to attain a high level of recognition, not only in society but in official government circles, certain conditions were necessary. Education as a whole, around the middle of the nineteenth century, had to be strict and similar to military drill to be considered efficient, although the French middle classes and bourgeoisie had very little taste for the military. Although they admired physical prowess they had a horror of regimentation. But later on, when the Prussians so easily defeated Austria, feelings of doubt in French superiority began to spread, and a handful of theoreticians of physical exercise tried to show that to combat the so-called degeneration of the race, it was essential to impose a system of education in which physical exercise, coupled with military drill, still had an important place. As scientific arguments they referred to the theories of evolution and its then accepted principle, according to Lamarck, or the transmission of acquired properties and character. Darwin was still unknown in France at that time. These zealous advocates succeeded in convincing the Minister of Public Education, Victor Duruy, to include gymnastics in the normal course of studies in all schools, and by 1869 one can say that a craze for all types of physical exercise and sport had spread into many levels of society. That was the start of a never-ending movement which has passed through various stages of evolution corresponding to the changes in society itself. It has therefore changed its methods, its ways, its forms, but the overall principle remains the same, in spite of the improved understanding of human physiology for instance. Huge amounts of energy and money were spent on realizing this theory: politicians, educators, the military, religious authorities, men of distinction, all fought for the best possible application of this miraculous principle which was believed to cure all ills in this world. Was it really worthwhile? Was it possible to expect objectively measurable results on a national scale if the social factors - such as standards of living, hygiene, working hours, urban conditions - were not taken into account? The history of this element requires a deep understanding of the evolution of most of the factors which make up real life in a country such as France, which experienced various stages in a industrial revolution as well as many political changes. In spite of this evolution, one must acknowledge that false beliefs survived well into the 1940s, and furthermore, physical exercise, whatever its form, still belongs in many ways to hedonism and is therefore difficult to impose as a universal solution to political problems. As a democracy, France could not accept militarization.