14-18, un grand terrain de sport (14-18, a large sports field)

In this Olympic year, sport is in the spotlight!

Two out of three people now say they practice sport regularly. However, practicing sports has long been an elitist activity reserved for the wealthiest populations. It was with the First World War that sport became democratized: men from all social classes met and practiced their sports together.

From the end of the 19th century, a specialized sports press emerged and recounted the exploits of champions who aroused the admiration of the general public.
With the cessation of competitions during the conflict and the disappearance of many athletes who fell on the field of honor, the war had the immediate effect of stopping, or at least slowing down, the development of sport.

But the duration of the cataclysm, the adaptation to new methods of combat, the cultural mixing linked to the globalization of the conflict will give it new impetus. A major turning point is taking place: practices will diversify, become more democratic and lay the foundations of modern sport.