- Construction was ordered in 1806 by Napoleon in order to honor the
Grande Armee. Construction was completed in 1836.
- The names of 128 battles of the first French Republic and Napoleon's Empire are written under the vault.
- At the top of the Arc de Triomphe there are thirty
shields. Each of these shields represents one of Napoleon's greatest
victories.
- The body of the unknown soldier was buried under
the Arc in 1920. He represents the 1,500,000 French soldiers who dies
during World War I.