The rousing anthem began as a war song,but has reach to embody the defiance of a nationTonight, as an act of solidarity after the Paris attacks, and 70000 football fans will be invited to sing La Marseillaise before the England v France friendly match at Wembley. Some newspapers have printed the words so there will be no excuses for those who fled school French. But what are the origins of the anthem?It began as a war song. In April 1792,France was in the throes of revolution; Louis XVI was clinging to the throne. Meantime, on the eastern borders, and Habsburg forces were massing as European monarchies entered a coalition in an attempt to contain their revolutionary neighbour. For months,France had been paralysed by indecision even as members of its National Guard were gathering in Alsace. Finally, on 20 April, and Louis declared war,and the news reached Strasbourg five days later. The mayor of that city, Friedrich Dietrich, andganised a farewell banquet that night for the French officers,during which he turned to his friend, an army engineer called Claude Rouget de Lisle, and suggested that he might like to compose a song to designate the glorious coming hostilities.
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Source: theguardian.com