The Triumph of the Republic, Bronze monument at Place de la Nation, France
Le Triomphe de la République, also known as *The Triumph of the Republic*, is a monumental bronze work at Place de la Nation in Paris. The group depicts a female allegory on a chariot drawn by lions, surrounded by other figures embodying different social forces.
In 1878 the Paris municipality launched a competition to design a monument to the French Republic; the Morice brothers won it for Place de la République. Jules Dalou's own project was not selected, but the city ordered it in bronze for Place de la Nation. A full-size painted plaster model was inaugurated on 21 September 1889 under Sadi Carnot, and the bronze, cast mainly by Thiébaut Frères, followed on 19 November 1899 under Émile Loubet.
The full title, *Le Triomphe de la République*, reflects the intention to make republican ideals tangible through symbolic figures. Visitors today observe how Labor, Justice, and Peace surround the central allegory, presenting the values of the Third Republic in public space.
The monument stands in the center of the square and is accessible from all sides, with the sidewalk leading around it. The Nation metro station offers several exits that ease access to the square and allow different viewpoints.
The bronze sea monsters around the base were made by animal sculptor Georges Gardet and installed in 1908, spitting water jets toward the group as symbols of impotent reactionary forces. They were removed under the Vichy regime, when non-ferrous metals were requisitioned. The basin itself vanished in the 1960s during construction of the RER line beneath Place de la Nation.
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