This Week in History

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CWA # 1383, 13 July 2024
This Week in History
14 July 1789: The Storming of Bastille and its continuation

  Ashwini Barla

The storming of the Bastille exposed the flaws in the French monarchy and cleared the way for a change in the political power structure to one that was more centered on the needs of the people. This created the groundwork for the development of modern-day democracy in France and was a prime example of the spirit embodied in the country's motto, "liberté, egalité, fraternité."

Unlike the American revolutionaries of 1776, the French revolutionaries of 1789 had greater aspirations than merely gaining their own independence. They aimed to establish fundamental values that would serve as the cornerstone for universal human freedom. The United States Declaration of Independence made reference to "liberty, equality, and the pursuit of happiness" in passing but did not elaborate on the meaning or means of realizing these rights. In addition to outlining a form of participatory democracy that would enable citizens to defend their own rights, the French "Declaration of the Rights of Man and Citizen" specified the rights that made up liberty and equality.

The French revolutionaries acknowledged, far more freely than their American counterparts, that the ideas of liberty and equality they had espoused raised important concerns concerning things like women's standing and the legitimacy of slavery. In contrast to the US, these issues were publicly and vehemently contested in France. The revolutionaries first believed that "imperious necessity" justified the continuation of slavery in France's foreign colonies, where 800,000 enslaved labourers outnumbered the 670,000 in the 13 American states in 1789, and that "nature" denied women the right to vote.

However, the revolution's legislators adopted increasingly drastic measures as it went on. In 1792, a law that redefined marriage and legalized divorce gave women the same legal rights to file for divorce and custody of their children. By that time, women had established political organizations of their own, some were openly serving in the French army, and Olympe de Gouges's powerful "Declaration of the Rights of Woman" had emphasized that they should be able to vote and hold public office. In the streets of revolutionary Paris, women's influence grew to such an extent that male politicians attempted to ban their activities. In 1794, in response to a widespread rebellion by African Americans held in slavery in Saint-Domingue, France's most valuable Caribbean province, the French National Convention outlawed slavery and granted full citizenship to those who had been slaves. Black general Toussaint Louverture was the formal commander-in-chief of French forces in Saint-Domingue by 1796; the island would gain independence from France in 1804. Black men were seated as deputies to the French assembly.

What after the French Revolution in 1789
The fallouts of the Bastille Fall continued to echo in France’s history, much after the event came to an end. Following are some of the major developments that followed. 

1848: The Second Revolution
Approximately fifty years after the end of Revolution, the populace rose  again to overthrow King Louis-Philippe's government. Following Louis Napoleon's coup d'état, they proclaimed the Second Republic. These incidents took place in 1848 as a part of a wave of revolutions across Europe against the centuries-old monarchs in Austria, Germany, Italy, and Sicily.

1968: “Cobblestone” Student Protests
The protests began on university campuses, particularly at the University of Nanterre and the Sorbonne in Paris. The students were rebelling against the conservative, patriarchal society and the authoritarian rule of President Charles de Gaulle. They sought greater personal and political freedoms. The initial protests were sparked by issues like restrictions on visiting hours in student dorms and opposition to the Vietnam War. 

After a violent altercation broke out between the university and the city's police, students at the esteemed Sorbonne University went to the streets. The protesters dug up and threw cobblestones at the police, leaving a renowned trail of destruction in their wake. Nearly 9 million workers, students, and civil servants joined the campaign, which ultimately overthrew official resistance and brought about the dissolution of the National Assembly as well as a 35 per cent increase in the minimum wage and a 10 per cent pay boost. However, it cost the protesting parties hundreds of injuries and seven fatalities.

1986: University Reform Protests
The student protests in France in 1986 were primarily focused on opposing proposed reforms to the higher education system. The proposed reforms of the French government planned to make changes to the national university system, including raising tuition fees to a maximum of around $250 per year. Second giving universities more freedom to select their own students, rather than automatically admitting those with a high school diploma.
The 1986 demonstration compelled the French government to give in to public demands, much like the movement that had taken place two decades earlier. The public was greatly incensed by a proposed bill pertaining to university selection criteria, resulting in yet another round of bloodshed, shattered glass, and flames in the Paris streets. After a student was assaulted and killed by police, the demonstrations reached a catastrophic peak. The minister who had presented the bill subsequently resigned and it was rejected.

2018: The Yellow Vest Protests
When more than 300,000 protesters nationwide organized against a government-imposed levy on gas and diesel last year, the streets of Paris were once again set on fire.
For weeks on end, demonstrators set fire to automobiles, stopped gas stations, blocked roads, and vandalized public property. The demonstrations developed into a far larger backlash against President Emmanuel Macron's government. The protests, which have persisted, albeit in a lower scale, long into 2019, have gained recognition as one of the biggest the city has witnessed in decades.

About the Author
Dr Ashwini Barla is an Assistant Professor in the Department of History, Kristu Jayanti College, Bengaluru

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