La Belle Époque !e Beautiful A"

1870-1914

France •  Franco-­‐Prussian  War  (1870-­‐71)  – France  “goaded”  into  declaring  war  by  Bismarck  

– France  loses  –  Napoleon  III  is  captured  •  1871  –  German  unificaGon  – Emphasizes  the  weakness  of  France  

Third French Republic Declared!

•  September,  1870  

•  Napoleon  III  abdicated    •  New  government  headed    by  Adolphe  Thiers  •  conGnued  the  fight  against  the  Germans  

•  France  surrendered  in  February,  1871  aQer  40,000  Parisians  died  

The Third French Republic

•  Thiers’  government  was  seen  as:  – Too  conservaGve  – Too  royalist  – Too  ready  to  accept  a  humiliaGng  peace  with  Prussia  

•  French  gov’t  est.  at  Versailles,  NOT  Paris  – Parisians    angry  

– Opposed  policies  of  new  gov’t  – AXempted  to  restore  order  in  Paris  

Paris in Revolt…Again!

•  The  Paris  Commune  [Communards]  was  elected  on  March  28  and  established  itself  at  the  Hôtel  de  Ville  

Attempted Communard Reforms

*  Allowed  trade  unions  &  workers  cooperaGves  to  take  over  factories  not  in  use  and  start  them  up  again  

*  Set  up  unemployment  exchanges  in  town  halls  *  Provide  basic  elementary  educaGon  for  all    they  

were  strongly  against  church-­‐controlled  schools  *  AXempted  to  set  up  girls  schools  *  Daycare  near  factories  for  working  mothers  

Civil War!

Communards  Troops  from  Versailles  

 The  Commune  was  suppressed  by  government  troops  led  by  Marshal  Patrice  MacMahon  during  the  last  week  of  May,  1871  

 Known  as  the  “Bloody  Week”  

The Communards

L’Hôtel de Ville Destroyed

Communard Casualties

25,000  Communards  killed  

35,000  arrested  

Mur des Fédérés

On  28  May  1871,  147  communards  were  brought   to   this  wall  at  Père  Lachaise  Cemetery  and  shot,  then  thrown  in  an  open  trench  at  the  end  of   the   wall.   The   wall   remains   a   symbol   to   the   French   leQ   of   the  struggles  of  the  people.  

Significance of Paris Commune

•  First  example  of  working  people  taking  power  (Proletariat  RevoluGon!)  

•  Source  of  inspiraGon  for  future  Communists  &  Socialists  (i.e.  Lenin,  Trotsky,  Mao  Zedong)  

Third French Republic •  PoliGcally  very  unstable  

• Rivalry  between  monarchists  and  republicans  • A  number  of  scandals  including  The  Dreyfus  Affair  [L’Affaire]  

•  Because  there  were  so  many  facGons    all  gov’ts  =  coaliGons  

•  SGll,  it  survived  longer  than  any  other  regime  since  1789!  

The Dreyfus Affair

The Dreyfus Affair

*  1894:  a  bordereau  (list  of  French  military  documents)  was  found  in  the  trash  of  the  German  Embassy  in  Paris  

*  French  counter-­‐intelligence  suspected  Captain  Alfred  Dreyfus,    from  a  wealthy  AlsaGan      Jewish  family    one  of  the    

 few  Jews  on  the  General  Staff  

The Dreyfus Affair

*  Dreyfus  was  tried,  convicted  of  treason,  and  sent  to  Devil’s  Island  in  French  Guiana  

*  The  real  culprit  was  Major  Esterhazy,  whose  handwriGng  was  the  same  as  that  on  the  bordereau  *  The  government  tried  him  and  found  him  not  guilty  in  two  days  

The Dreyfus Affair

*  A  famous  author,  Émile  Zola  published  an  open  leXer  called  J’Accuse!    –  He  accused  the  army  of  a  mistrial  and  cover-­‐up  

–  The  government  prosecuted  him  for  libel  

–  Found  him  guilty    sentenced  to  a  year  in  prison  

J’Accuse!

The Dreyfus Affair

Dreyfusards  An5-­‐

*  Public  opinion  divided    reflected  divisions  in  Fr.  Society  *  Dreyfusards  =  anG-­‐clericals,  intellectuals,  Free  Masons,  &  Socialists  

*  An5-­‐Dreyfusards  =  army  supported,  monarchists,  &  Catholics  *  the  honor  of  the  army  was  more  important  than  Dreyfus’  guilt  or  

innocence  

Dreyfus, the Traitor!

The Dreyfus Affair

*  1899  –  New  trial  *  Brought  back  from  Devil’s  Island  a  broken  man  

*  Results:  – Found  guilty  again,  BUT  with  extenuaGng  circumstances  – Was  given  a  presidenGal  pardon  

– Exonerated  in  1906  – Served  honorably  in  WWI  

– Died  in  1935  

La Belle Époque�19th  C.  French  Society

1889 WORLD EXPOSITION

•  Centennial  CelebraGon  of  French  RevoluGon  

•  Gustave  Eiffel  •  Eiffel  Tower  =  Entrance  to  Fair  

THE BOURGEOISIE •  Fashion,  behavior,  eGqueXe  mimicked  the  aristocracy  

•  Frequented:  –  Theater  –  Opera  –  Restaurants  –  Casinos  –  Gardens  

Bourgeoisie  enjoy  a  stroll  at  Porte  Dauphine  (ca.  1900)  

A  café  on  the  Grands  Boulevards  (1900)  

Bourgeois  children  play  at  the  Jardin  du  Luxembourg  (1899)  

Children  of  the  working  class  in  the  slums  (1900)  

VIVE LA BOHÈME!

THE BOHEMIAN WAY

•  Challenged  status  quo  •  Rejected  mainstream  values    

•  Mocked  bourgeoisie  •  Comprised  of    

–  ArGsts  –  Students  – Writers  

THE BOHEMIANS •  MoXo:  “Truth,  beauty,  freedom  and  love”  

•  Frequented  cafés  &  music  halls  

•  Most  popular  areas:  –  LaGn  Quarter  – Montmartre  

Lapin  Agile,  1905  

MONTMARTRE

LE MOULIN ROUGE

•  Est.  1889  •  Most  famous  symbol  of  the  Bohemian  life  

AT THE MOULIN ROUGE

•  Dancers  (Can-­‐Can)  

•  Elephant  •  Drink  

–  Absinthe  

OMG! It’s the Can-Can!