Fédérés

Fédérés is a plural French term that derives from fédération, meaning those who are part of a federation or federalist organization. In historical writing, the word has been used to describe volunteers or militiamen who fought or organized themselves under local or departmental federations rather than under a single centralized army. The precise organization and aims of these groups varied according to the period and context.

In the late 18th century, during the French Revolution and the wars that followed, several accounts refer to “fédérés” as volunteers mobilized by departmental or local federations to defend the revolutionary state or participate in large-scale mobilizations. The term emphasizes a federative principle—operating through local associations and cross-departmental cooperation—rather than through a solely centralized command.

In the 19th century and beyond, fédérés appeared in different political settings to denote participants aligned with federalist ideas or with particular federations within broader movements. The label could apply to civilian volunteers, members of local militias, or supporters organized by political or social federations. In some studies of the Paris Commune era, the term is encountered as a designation for combatants connected to the commune’s federalist rhetoric.

In modern usage, fédérés is chiefly encountered in historical or literary contexts. It serves as a descriptive label rather than a reference to a single, uniform organization. See also fédération and fédéraliste for related concepts.