La Belle Époque, (“The Beautiful Era” ) Background and France

La Belle Epoque -- Political Political stability in western and central Europe Tension, but cooperation: France and Germany – Congress of Berlin in 1878, 1884 New Alliances, Old Differences – Workers find similarities – Tension between working-class socialists, bourgeois liberals, and aristocrats

La Belle Epoque -- Social Post-Impressionism Moulin Rouge

Characteristics of La Belle Époque

2.Increased European Population 2.1 in 5 people worldwide lived in Europe in 1900 (about 400 million people) 3.Growth of Cities & Urban Life 4.Migration from Europe   60 million left Europe  Went to  US, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Australia/N. Zeal. 5. “Second” Industrial Revolution  Steam  electricity  Internal combustion & diesel engines.  Cars, planes, submarines. Characteristics of La Belle Époque

Glenbow Archives, Calgary, Canada P-4346C-4

Second” Industrial Revolution Britain  “The World’s Industrial Workshop” 5.“Second” Industrial Revolution Britain  “The World’s Industrial Workshop”  Corporations  limited liability of investments.  Mass production. 6.Free Trade [esp. in England] 7.World Markets [Global Economy, Part II] 8.Advance of Democracy  Extension of the vote to the working class.  Creating a “welfare state.” Characteristics of La Belle Époque

9.The Appeal of Socialism  By the 1880s, most socialist parties were Marxist [esp. Ger. & Fr.]  Not very successful in England. 10.Faith in Science Alone  Science at the core of industrialization.  “New Wonders” of daily life.  Charles Darwin Origin of Species [1859] Origin of Species [1859] “survival of the fittest” “survival of the fittest” Characteristics of La Belle Époque

10.Faith in Science Alone [con’t.]  “Social Darwinism”  Herbert Spenser  Eugenics  Newtonian Science turned on its head Einstein  “Theory of Relativity”  nature & energy were separate & distinct. Einstein  “Theory of Relativity”  nature & energy were separate & distinct. Max Planck  Quantum Physics Max Planck  Quantum Physics  Professionalization of “new” sciences [anthropology, archeaology,etc.] Psychology Psychology  Ivan Pavlov  conditioned responses  Sigmund Freud  psychoanalysis o The Interpretation of Dreams [1900] o The role of the unconscious [the id, ego, super ego Characteristics of La Belle Époque

11.New Trends in Philosophy  Agnosticism  Nihilism Friedrich Nietzsche Friedrich Nietzsche  Übermensch  “Super Man”  Irrationalism  Existentialism Sören Kierkegaard  existence proceeds essence Sören Kierkegaard  existence proceeds essence 12. Internal Religious Struggles  modernists vs. fundamentalists Characteristics of La Belle Époque

14. Anti-Semitism  Dreyfus Affair  Theodore Herzl  Der Judenstaat [The Jewish State], 1896 “Father of Modern Zionism” “Father of Modern Zionism” 15 Women’s Movement  Emmeline Pankhurst 16 The “New” Imperialism 17. Militarism  glorification of war Characteristics of La Belle Époque

Great Exhibition (1851) Show off to the world the wealth and power of the British Empire Crystal Palace was the centerpiece Designed by gardener and greenhouse designer Joseph Paxton Attended by lots of the rich and famous as well as those who hoped to be… Including Charles Darwin, Samuel Colt, Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, George Eliot and Alfred, Lord Tennyson Karl Marx hated it

Opening of the Great Exhibition by Queen Victoria

From plans to completion in 9 months…

Exposition Universelle (1889) A world’s fair to show off France and celebrate the centennial of the French Revolution

1889 Paris Exposition * In honor of the French Revolution Centennial. * Eiffel Tower is entrance to fair If London is the commerce capital, Paris is the cultural capital.

Central Dome of the Gallery des Machines, Louis Beroud

The Exposition Universelle of 1900 was a world's fair held in Paris, France, from 15 April to 12 November 1900, to celebrate the achievements of the past century and to accelerate development into the next

Entrance to the 1900 Paris World Fair

Interior, 1900 Paris World Fair

France

Third French Republic Declared!  September, 1870 after France’s defeat at the Battle of Sedan during Franco Prussian War Napoleon III abdicated the throne.  New government headed by Adolphe Thiers.  This new government continued the fight against the Germans who laid siege to Paris.  To defend Paris, a National Guard was raised numbering over 350,000.  France surrendered in February, 1871 after 40,000 Parisians died.

Declaring the 3 rd French Republic

The Third French Republic  Thiers’ government was seen as:  Too conservative.  Too royalist.  Too ready to accept a humiliating peace with Prussia.  Prussian troops marched into Paris in March,  The French government established itself at Versailles, NOT in Paris.  Parisians were angered by this.  They opposed the policies of this new government.  It attempted to restore order in Paris.

Paris in Revolt!  The Paris Commune [Communards] was elected on March 28 and established itself at the Hôtel de Ville.

Paris in Revolt  Rejected a Gov. that made peace with Germany  Socialist  Controlled Paris for 2 months

Attempted Communard Reforms * Allowed trade unions & workers cooperatives to take over factories not in use and start them up again. * Set up unemployment exchanges in town halls. * Provide basic elementary education for all  they were strongly against church-controlled schools. * Attempted to set up girls schools. * Day nurseries near factories for working mothers. !

Paris in Revolt

Civil War! Communards Troops from Versailles  The Commune was suppressed by government troops led by Marshal Patrice MacMahon during the last week of May,  Known as the “Bloody Week.”

First Communist Revolution? It served as an inspiration to later revolutionaries like Vladimir Lenin. * 25,000 Communards killed. * 35,000 were arrested.

Communard Casualties

Paris City Hall Destroyed

“Paris the Beautiful” “Paris the beautiful is Paris the ghastly, Paris the battered, Paris the burning, Paris the blood-spattered now. And this in the 19 th century and Europe professes civilization, and France boasts of culture, and Frenchmen are braining one another with the end of muskets, and Paris is burning.” – an English visitor

The Third Republic: Government Structure

3 rd Republic  Conservative  Politically unstable  50 govs. in 1 st ten years!  Monarchists vs. republicans.  Scandals  Numerous factions -- all governments were coalitions  Ended 1940

The Constitution * The President:  Can dissolve Chamber of Deputies with the support of the Senate  Can nominate the new head of government *The Senate (Upper House)  Elected by “department” representatives  9 year term  Conservative

The Constitution *The Chamber of Deputies (Lower House)  4 year term  600 members elected by universal male suffrage.  Many groups:  Socialists: many were Marxists.  Moderate Republicans: middle class.  Radicals: anti-clerical, anti church  Monarchists: Catholics, Bonapartists, Royalists = Conservative

The Third Republic: Scandals