The Arc de Triomphe, meaning arc of victory is one of the most famous monuments in France along side the Eiffel Tower; it is situated at the end of the Champs Elysees avenue in Paris and is 165 feet (51 meters) tall. Work on the monument started during the reign of Emperor Napoleon I to celebrate his victory over the Austrians and the Russians at the battle of Austerlitz in 1805; however it was only completed in 1833 and was looked upon more as a symbol of peace rather than victory in war.
In later times though it became a practice to march past the Arc after victory in battle; the Germans in 1871 after the Franco-Prussian war and again in 1940 during the Second World War and the French in 1918 after the First World War had marched past the Arc de Triomphe. After the First World War the Arc de Triomphe became a commemorative symbol in the memory of the soldiers who laid down their lives for the country; the arc houses the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier and the eternal flame.
