École militaire facts for kids
Quick facts for kids École militaire |
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Central École militaire building
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| General information | |
| Type | Educational building complex, |
| Address | 1 Place de Joffre, 75007 |
| Town or city | Paris, Île-de-France |
| Country | France |
| Coordinates | 48°51′09″N 2°18′13″E / 48.85250°N 2.30361°E |
| Current tenants | Military academy |
| Completed | 1750 |
| Design and construction | |
| Architect | Ange-Jacques Gabriel |
The École militaire (say it: ek-ol mil-ee-tair), which means "military school," is a group of buildings in Paris, France. It's where different parts of the French military get their training. King Louis XV started it in 1750. You can find it in the 7th area of Paris, near the famous Champ de Mars park.
The famous architect Ange-Jacques Gabriel designed this building. Today, it's still a busy military school. Since 1990, it has been recognized as an important national monument. You can sometimes visit it during special events like the European Heritage Days.
Contents
History of the Military School
How the School Started
The École Militaire was created in 1750. This happened after a big war called the War of the Austrian Succession. King Louis XV decided to build it. He got the idea from a military leader named Marshal Maurice de Saxe. Two other important people, Madame de Pompadour and Joseph Paris Duverney, also helped make it happen.
Before this school, military training was mostly for children from rich, noble families. They often learned by working in royal stables. King Louis XV wanted to change this. He wanted to create a school for young officers from noble families who were not rich. This made military education open to more people.
In January 1751, King Louis XV officially started the school. It was meant to teach 500 young noblemen who didn't have much money. To pay for the school, a special tax was put on playing cards. The Secretary of State for War was in charge of running the school. The Royal Military Academy also had smaller military schools in different parts of France. One famous one was the School of Brienne. Students could get into these schools if they could prove their noble background. After finishing there, they could try to get into the main Royal Military School in Paris through a national test.
Building Design by Ange-Jacques Gabriel
King Louis XV asked Ange-Jacques Gabriel to design the new military school. The King wanted it to be even grander than the Hôtel des Invalides. That building was built by King Louis XIV. Gabriel started building in 1752 on a farm called Grenelle.
The school finally opened in 1760. Gabriel created a huge area with beautiful walls and a clever system for water. It was much bigger and more impressive than the Invalides.
In 1777, the school was reorganized by the Comte de Saint-Germain. It was renamed the École des Cadets-gentilshommes, meaning "School of Young Gentlemen." A very famous student, Napoleon Bonaparte, joined in 1784. He finished his studies in just one year, even though it usually took two!
Today, the École militaire complex includes several important military training centers:
- The École de guerre (EdG), which is the School of Warfare.
- The Ecole de Guerre-Terre (EdG-T), which is the School of Land Warfare.
- The Institut des hautes études de défense nationale, which is the Institute of Advanced Studies in National Defense.
Images for kids
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École Militaire from the Place de Fontenoy
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St Louis Chapel at the École Militaire
See also
