“La victoire est à nous!” is French for “Victory is ours!” This song is the most historically significant piece to come out of Europe during the 1800s. What makes this song so special was that it was the victory march for the French Grande Armée commanded by Napoleon Bonaparte.

In Europe during the 1800s, armies would gather in large units and meet the enemy head-on. Battles and skirmishes were quite literally played like a game of chess, and part of the strategy in chess is getting inside the mind of your opponent. To do this, often armies would have their troops march in formation. The sound of over 600,000 men marching created a thunderous pulse that would strike fear into the hearts of your adversaries. The Victory March’s role would come after the battle had been won and it was played by the military band which accompanied the army. The triumphant song would humiliate your defeated enemy and boost the morale of your own men who would revel in their conquest.

Many historians believe that nationalism is the key that defined the French Grande Armée, and La victoire est à nous reflects this principle. Although the original melody comes from the ballad-opera titled “La caravane du Caire” written by André Grétry, the piece’s bombastic trumpets and punching low brass line give it the energy needed to encourage patriotism in the soldiers of the French army. Led by Napoleon Bonaparte, which many military historians consider to be a military genius and one of the finest commanders in world history, the French Grande Armée fought in roughly 60 battles under Napoleon’s 20-year military career. Out of these battles, they only lost 7 of them. Meaning that La victoire est à nous was played at least 53 times, and against many different armies.

La victoire est à nous! by André-Ernest-Modeste Grétry
Arr S Schultz

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