Valmy: The victory and its reputation

Contrary to popular belief, the Battle of Valmy was not always famous, nor celebrated as a French military victory. When the revolutionary armies defeated the Prussians on September 20, 1792 in the Argonne, few people seemed to be interested in the event that repelled the foreign invasion. While the battle does appear in the press and in discussions in the National Assembly, it is simply perceived as the beginning of a larger-scale conflict. With the Prussian troops retreating, it was only a month before the battle acquired recognition. However, this renown was short-lived: no sooner was the Jemappes victory proclaimed on November 6 than Valmy's was eclipsed. This article analyzes the “quasi-anonymity” of the battle of Valmy during the First Republic, and examines the reasons why its memory finally managed to emerge.