La scène de bataille L’écriture de la guerre dans La Fortune des Rougon

The historical sources consulted by Zola reduce the battle of Aups to a “skirmish” (Maquan) or an improvised engagement (Ténot). But the novelist needs the battle to preserve the epic dimension of his novel, whether it turns into tragedy in the martyrdom of the Republicans, or is maintained in the description of a sublime landscape, ensuring the continuation of history.