Bastille Day Military Parade facts for kids

Alpha Jet of the Patrouille de France for Bastille Day military parade 2013.

The Bastille Day military parade is a French military parade in Paris. It traditionally takes place every July 14th in the morning, on the famous Champs-Élysées. It celebrate the attack against the Bastille, the beginning of the French Revolution.

How's it going?
Cultural impact
Related pages
Images for kids
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How's it going?

The units that parade that day, "descend" the Champs-Élysées, from the Arc de Triomphe to Place de la Concorde. Front of the Luxor Obelisk a large temporary official stand is assembled. It allows to welcome the President of the French Republic, members of the government, and all foreign guests. The military parade was cut into several sequences, somewhat in the manner of a play.

Reviewing the troops

President François Hollande Citroën DS 5 official car on the Bastille Day 2012.

President of the French Republic leaves the Élysée Palace aboard his official car and joined the Arc de Triomphe, escorted by bikers of the Republican Guard. After that he boarded a military vehicle, his command car. From that moment, under the protocol, it fully embodies the role of "Chief of the Armies". Thus he reviews the troops stationed on the right side of the avenue. Aboard his military vehicle he rejoind and its place in the official gallery. A detachment of the Republican Guard makes military honors to the president.

Opening animation

An opening play then takes place. It usually lasts between 15 and 20 minutes. This is often the Band of the Republican Guard, accompanied by the choirs of the French army, and sometimes dancers and even a tenor. Usually musicians play La Marseillaise and the Chant des Partisans.

First flypast

The Bastille Day military parade begins really by the first flypast. The Alpha Jet of the famous Patrouille de France fly over Paris. They produce smokes of three colors, blue, white, and red, like of the Flag of France. Behind them marched combat aircraft, military transport aircraft, reconnaissance aircraft and training aircraft. These aircraft represent military and state components : French Air Force, French Navy, and French Sécurité Civile. In 2015 the most represented were Dassault Mirage 2000, Dassault Rafale, Casa CN-235M, Airbus A400M Atlas, and Bombardier CL-415.

Troop parade

Légionnaires on the Bastille Day 2013 military parade in Paris

After it's the moment for the troops to make the parade. In first the military schools and behind them the regiments and formed units. In addition of soldiers and officers (of the French Army, the French Navy, and the French Air Force) firemen of the Paris Fire Brigade and Sécurité Civile, and policemen of the Gendarmerie Nationale and Police Nationale make the parade.

The troops parade always ends with the famous Légion Étrangère. This elite unit of the French army walks more slowly than other soldiers, so it goes last.

Seconde Flypast

Anti-aircraft missile Aster at the Bastille Day 2015 military parade

Then comes the turn of the helicopters. From French Army, French Air Force, French Navy, Gendarmerie Nationale, and Sécurité Civile. In 2015 it was NH90 Caïman, Eurocopter EC725 Caracal, Eurocopter EC665 Tigre, and Aérospatiale SA-342 Gazelle.

Vehicles parade

In first, it's motorcycles of the Gendarmerie Nationale and Police Nationale. And after armored military cars, tanks, troops trucks, and specialized vehicles are in Paris. At the end of vehicles parade it's red cars, ambulances and fire trucks of Paris Fire Brigade.

Cultural impact

The Bastille Day military parade is very famous in France. All years more than 15 000 peoples come in Paris to see it. It is broadcast in live by two TV channels : TF1 and France 2.

Images for kids

Foreign Legion
François Hollande, President of France, alongside Admiral Édouard Guillaud, Chief of the Defence Staff reviewing the troops in an ACMAT command car.
1st infantry regiment of the Republican Guard
Greek soldiers at the World War I victory parade on 14 July 1919. The temporary catafalque erected at the time is visible to the right of the Arc de Triomphe.
Soldiers of the 1st French Infantry Regiment in Paris in 2012
Drone presented during the 2015 parade
Bastille Day 2016 military parade in Paris
Bastille Day 2017 military parade in Paris
Cadets of the École polytechnique
National Gendarmerie's officer cadets
Saint-Cyr cadets
Cadets of the Military Interarms School
Cadets of the École Navale
Cadets of the École de l'air
Cadets of the National Active Non-Commissioned Officers School
Infantry of the Republican Guard
1st Regiment of Spahis
126th Line Infantry
21st Regiment of Marine infantry
511th Transport Regiment
Regimental flag of the 1st Marine Fusiliers
National Police Superior Officers School trainees
Flag of the French National Police and the Security Service of the Ministry of the Interior (SSMI)
Flag guard of the French Firefighting Academy
The Paris Fire Brigade
The French Foreign Legion is always last to parade because of its slower marching pace
The cavalry regiment of the Republican Guard opening the motorised parade (formerly cavalry parade)
The red-crested musicians of the Republican Guard cavalry
The motorbikes of the French Republican Guard open the motorised parade
Leclerc main battle tank
AMX 10 RC tank destroyer
ERC 90 Sagaie light tank
VAB armoured support vehicle
AMX-10P, infantry fighting vehicle
VBL Armoured light vehicle
ACMAT troop transport
Crotale missile launchers
GCT 155mm self-propelled artillery vehicle
Armored bulldozer of the Génie
EFA mobile bridge
The Paris Fire Brigade closing the motorised parade
The Patrouille de France's Alphajets
Four Super Étendards
A Boeing E-3 Sentry (AWACS) followed by five Mirages 2000
C-160 Transall
Eurocopter EC725
Fusiliers-marins from Toulon naval base parading in Toulon.
PVP of the 3rd regiment engineers, 1st Mechanised Brigade in Charleville-Mézières
French Air Force riflemen in Rochefort.
1st Tirailleurs of Épinal regiment displaying late 19th century uniforms for Bastille Day in Strasbourg.
Cynotechnical unit of the Marseille Naval Fire Battalion during the military parade of 14 July 2012 in Marseille, with a decorated dog.
Russian and Mexican sailors during the military parade of 14 July 2012 in Brest.
7th Battalion of the Chasseurs Alpins during Bastille Day parade in Lyon.
Band of the Brazilian Marines, guest participants in 2005
In 2007, one regiment from each European member-state paraded on the Champs-Élysées (here, the 30th regiment of the Romanian National Guard)
The National Guards Unit of the Bulgarian Army in 2007
The Portuguese Marines in white dress uniform in 2007
In 2008, a multinational United Nations battalion opened the parade
Croatian Honor Guard Battalion guest participants in 2013.
In 2013, Malian troops opened the parade following French involvement in the Malian civil war
In 2017, US President Donald Trump attended the Bastille Day parade in Paris at the invitation of President Emmanuel Macron