This is the history of Paris' recovery from the devastation of the Franco-Prussian War (1870), when the city was bombarded by the Germans, and then wrecked by the anarchy of the Commune and its violent suppression. Napoleon III had fled to England, the Empire was over, and the French were burdened with a 5 million franc indemnity to the Germans, who continued their occupation until they were paid in 1874. Although the Republic was established, there was still a battle royal between the forces of liberty and progress and the monarchist reaction led by the church and the military. Building the Sacre Coeur on Montmarte was a victory for the right. It was built on the grounds where the Commune had begun. However, in the 1879 elections, the Republicans succeeded, reinstated 'La Marseillaise' as the national anthem, and moved the government from Versailles to Paris. They secularized hospitals and schools, banished religious from the classrooms and dissolved the Jesuits. A year later, July 14 was reinstated as a national holiday and the Communards were granted amnesty. The forces of liberty, equality and fraternity had momentarily triumphed.
The 1880's saw the construction of two of the most famous edifices in modern history. Liberty Enlightening the World was built in the middle of the city and presented to the US Ambassador in 1884. Lady Liberty was disassembled, packed and shipped off to New York, where she would be dedicated on Nov.1, 1886, while a million people cheered the fireworks celebration. And in anticipation of the centenary of the Revolution, Eiffel constructed his iconic tower on the Champs de Mars.
The last decade of the century was dominated by the scandal surrounding the bankruptcy of the Panama Canal Company. The de Lesseps were sentenced to jail and Eiffel's reputation was completely besmirched. The political fallout cost Clemenceau his seat in the Chamber of Deputies. Next followed the Dreyfus affair that sent the innocent Jewish artillery officer to Devil's Island. The rift between the right and the left in French society was deep and each side continued their virulent, bitter campaign against the other. That the wrong man was convicted in a bout of anti-Semitic misbehavior is and has long been beyond refute. The men who finally turned the affair around, and are the heroes of the story, are Emile Zola and Georges Clemenceau. Zola wrote the pamphlet that summed up the complex case and the army's duplicity and Clemenceau came up with the title that resounds through history - 'J'accuse'. Three hundred thousand copies of what was an open letter to the government were distributed in Paris. Immediately, Zola was prosecuted for libeling the army and convicted. Later in the year, the officer who had forged the letter behind the entire affair confessed and committed suicide. Notwithstanding that, Dreyfus, after his appeal succeeded, was convicted a second time. The army continued to manufacture evidence and the church supported them. Dreyfus was pardoned after over four years on Devils Island. The book closes with the Impressionists finally receiving their due, Dreyfus and Zola honored, and Clemenceau headed for higher office.
I found this book while looking for 'Twilight of the Belle Epoque', which my brother recommended. So, thanks for a twofer. What is interesting about this book for me is information on the physical transformation of the city, the blossoming of the artistic and musical culture of the day, and the intense conflict between the left and the right. To characterize the conflict as intense does not do it justice. Zola's 'J'accuse' led to violent outbursts, riots and the murder of Jews in the countryside.There was a real possibility of an army coup. The country could've been torn apart. It seems a wonder that the 3rd Republic survived. My knowledge of French history is limited and this has been an eye opener.
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