Military Exercise at the 1900 Summer Olympics

The 1900 edition of the annual feast of the Union des sociétés d’instruction militaire de France (USPMF) was held as part of the sports program of the 1900 Universal Exposition, and thus the 1900 Olympic Games. 80 clubs entered the competition, with the number of members per club varying between 60 and 400. The competition was divided into three parts. The first part, focused on “preparatory military training”, featuring among others shooting, boxing and gymnastic exercises with and without arms. Second were the “complementary military exercises”, which also included theoretical components. The third section, “free exercise”, included mostly regular sports like gymnastics, cycling, fencing and swimming.

Prizes were awarded to the clubs for their overall performance, as well as performances in the three sections. The first and third sections received prizes per Group (A, B, C or D) in which the clubs were entered. Finally, there was an overall prize for school teams entering.