As empires crumbled and made way for nation-states, the tone of the military parade has endured. The rise of nationalism in Europe in the 19th century converted military parades into national symbols meant to capture the collective frenzy of a nation’s inhabitants into feelings of nationalism.

There were funnel cakes, stands of festival bling and American flags aplenty.

Tanks, troops, and marching bands rolled through Washington in a parade of American military power, a show met by thousands of citizens who showed another kind of power: protest.