Ville et État à Saumur : l'extension de l'école de cavalerie au XIXe siècle

Abstract

The national school for cavalry was created in Saumur in the middle of the 18th century in an area only recently protected from the floods of the Loire River but very close to the heart of the city. It is dedicated to the training of cavalry officers specialized in horse-riding techniques for cavalry soldiers. In the 19th century, the institution extended its reach and wanted to assert its differences with the civilian part of the city. However, contrary to civilian horse-riding techniques, military horse-riding is a collective discipline, which is taught in groups. Collective manoeuvres require wide and free ways for large groups of horses and riders. These needs shaped the school development: instead of closing the military area, the military organized all the buildings necessary for horse-riding and military training (stables, infirmary, barracks, etc.) around the training field. Optimization strategy in this context lead the school to expand its zone of influence as much as possible towards civilian areas, while establishing borders between military and civilian zones. After the French defeat in the 1870 war against Germany, military thinkers even thought of establishing permanent separation between those two areas. The ultimate failure of this project shows that an equilibrium has been reached, which allows both the development of the cavalry school and Saumur's prosperity and fame.