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The construction of the Arc de Triomphe in Paris was ordered in 1806 by Napoleon, the French Emperor, who wanted to honor the Grande Armée, the name of the French army at that time. The Grande Armée had conquered most of Europe and was then considered invincible. After his Austerlitz victory in 1805, Napoleon said to his soldiers : "You will return home through arches of triumph". The construction was stopped between 1814 (abdication of Napoleon) and 1826. The names of 128 battles of the first French Republic and Napoleon's Empire are written on the white walls under the vault together with the names of the generals who took part in them. The construction of the Arc de Triomphe was completed in 1836, long after Napoleon's death in 1821.
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